cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advancing the science of 21st-century leadership development: Theory, research, and practice

Abstract Leadership development seeks to understand, predict, and intervene effectively in addressing the questions of how individuals develop as leaders and how collections of individuals develop a capacity for leadership. These questions are attracting scholars interested in the factors and processes involved in developing leaders and leadership. Presented in the special issue is a set of state-of-the-science empirical studies and theory development articles representing 21st century leadership development. We also provide a brief overview of issues related to the leadership development field – broadly construed to include individual leader development – that are especially pertinent and where the research evidence is scarce or contradictory. These areas are theoretical foundations of leadership development, practices and methods of development and talent selection for development, accurately estimating return on investment for leadership development initiatives, the role of time in developing leaders and leadership, understanding and remedying biases and inequities in leadership development, and the role of development in mitigating the so-called dark side of leadership. Although we have learned much about leader and leadership development over the past 20 years, there is an ongoing need for more research and theory development especially with respect to identifying causally and practically relevant knowledge able to inform policy.
Prescribed versus wildfire impacts on exotic plants and soil microbes in California grasslands

O_LIPrescribed fire is often used as a management tool to decrease exotic plant cover and increase native plant cover in grasslands. These changes may also be mediated by fire impacts on soil microbial communities, which drive plant productivity and function. Yet, the ecological effects of prescribed burns compared to wildfires on either plant or soil microbial composition remain unclear. C_LIO_LIHere, we investigated the impacts of a spring prescribed fire versus a fall wildfire on plant cover and community composition and bacterial and fungal richness, abundance, and composition in a California grassland. We used qPCR of 16S and 18S to assess impacts on bacterial and fungal abundance and Illumina MiSeq of 16S and ITS2 to assess impacts on bacterial and fungal richness and composition. C_LIO_LIWildfire had stronger impacts than prescribed fire on microbial communities and both fires had similar impacts on plants with both prescribed and wildfire reducing exotic plant cover but neither reducing exotic plant richness. Fungal richness declined after the wildfire but not prescribed fire, but bacterial richness was unaffected by either. Yet increasing char levels in both fire types resulted in reduced bacterial and fungal biomass, and both fire types slightly altered bacterial and fungal composition. C_LIO_LIExotic and native plant diversity differentially affected soil microbial diversity, with native plant diversity leading to increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal richness while exotic plant diversity better predicted bacterial richness. However, the remainder of the soil microbial communities were more related to aspects of soil chemistry including cation exchange capacity, organic matter, pH and phosphorous. C_LIO_LISynthesis and applications. Understanding the different ecological effects of prescribed fires and wildfires on plant and soil communities are key to enhancing a prevalent management action and to guide potential management opportunities post wildfires. Our coupled plant and soil community sampling allowed us to capture the sensitivity of the fungal community to fire and highlights the importance of potentially incorporating management actions such as soil or fungal amendments to promote this critical community that mediates native plant performance. C_LI
COVID 19 vaccine distribution solution to the last mile challenge: Experimental and simulation studies of ultra-low temperature refrigeration system.

Abstract Most COVID-19 vaccines require ambient temperature control for transportation and storage. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on mRNA and lipid nanoparticles requiring low temperature storage. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-low temperature storage (between −80°C and −60°C), while the Moderna vaccine requires −30°C storage. Pfizer has designed a reusable package for transportation and storage that can keep the vaccine at the target temperature for 10 days. However, the last stage of distribution is quite challenging, especially for rural or suburban areas, where local towns, pharmacy chains and hospitals may not have the infrastructure required to store the vaccine. Also, the need for a large amount of ultra-low temperature refrigeration equipment in a short time period creates tremendous pressure on the equipment suppliers. In addition, there is limited data available to address ancillary challenges of the distribution framework for both transportation and storage stages. As such, there is a need for a quick, effective, secure, and safe solution to mitigate the challenges faced by vaccine distribution logistics. The study proposes an effective, secure, and safe ultra-low temperature refrigeration solution to resolve the vaccine distribution last mile challenge. The approach is to utilize commercially available products, such as refrigeration container units, and retrofit them to meet the vaccine storage temperature requirement. Both experimental and simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the technical merits of this solution with the ability to control temperature at −30°C or −70°C as part of the last mile supply chain for vaccine candidates.
Macromolecular Interactions: Light Scattering

Static light scattering (SLS) is a spectroscopic technique for determination of molar masses (molecular weights) and radii of gyration for macromolecules in solution. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement allows determination of translational diffusion coefficient and hydrodynamic radius. Measurement of molar mass from SLS experiment determines the oligomeric state and thus provides association stoichiometry for biological macromolecules such as native and modified proteins and their complexes, nucleic acids as well as phospholipid vesicles, viruses or drug delivering nanoparticles. Both static and DLS are routinely used to assess monodispersity (homogeneity with respect to molar mass or size) of protein stocks prepared for structural studies. Both homo- and hetero-association of proteins can be detected and quantitatively characterized from light scattering measurements performed at various concentrations. Keywords: light scattering; molar mass; radius of gyration; hydrodynamic radius; molecular weight
The many forms of a single fact

Two categories of data interchange problems are generally recognized: differences in the representation of data items, and differences in the structural organization of records. There is a little-known intermediate problem: a simple fact can be presented in great variety of record formats. The author presents several dozen formats for representing one simple fact. >
The Specificity of Milk Lipase. III. Differential Inactivation

The relative lipolytic activity in a given milk toward different esters before and after various inactivation treatments (aging, heat, acid, alkali, trypsin, light, oxidizing agents, and formaldehyde} was studied. The results should lead to further work on the stability, separation, and purification of the enzyme system, which will aid in the problem of control of rancidity in milk and milk products. Editor. In the previous paper of this series (5) preliminary evidence of the presence of multiple lipolytic enzymes in milk was obtained on the basis of variation in the relative lipolytic activity in different milks toward different esters. This paper presents further evidence of the multiplicity of lipolytic enzymes in milk. Several workers have inferrecl the presence of more than one lipase in milk from variation in the inactivation of lipolysis in different milks by heat (2, 19), formaldehyde (6, 7, 8, 19), and copper (6), and from variation in loss of tributyrinase activity from aging' milk in the cold (11). However, comparing diferent milks is difficult because of variations in environment and stability of milk lipase to aging in the cold (17). Moreover, determining the extent of lipolysis and tributyrinase activity as measures of lipase concentration in milk may be questionable (4). Some basic differences found in the conditions necessary to activate lipolysis in milk also have been attributed to the presence of nmltiple
Compressible flow of a two-phase fluid between finite vessels—I: Ideal carrier gas

Abstract The transfer of a multiphase fluid from a high-pressure vessel to one initially at lower pressure is investigated. The fluid is composed of two phases which do not undergo any change. The phases consist of an ideal gas, and solid particles (or liquid droplets) having constant density. The mixture is assumed to be stagnant and always perfectly mixed as well as at thermal equilibrium in each constant volume vessel. The fluid also remains homogeneous and at equilibrium while flowing between vessels. The transport properties of the mixture are taken to be zero. One important finding is that the expanding mixture or pseudo-fluid behaves similarly to a polytropic Abel-Noble gas. The mixture thermodynamic properties, the end state in each vessel at pressure equilibrium, the critical parameters and time-dependent results are given for the adiabatic and isothermal limiting cases. The results include both initially sonic and initially subsonic transfers. No mathematical restriction is placed on the particle concentration, although some limiting results are given for small particle volume fraction. The mass transferred at adiabatic pressure equilibrium can be significantly less than that when thermal equilibrium is also reached. Furthermore, the adiabatic pressure equilibrium level may not be the same as that obtained at thermal equilibrium, even when all initial temperatures are the same. Finally, it is shown that the transfer times can be very slow compared to those of a pure gas due to the large reduction possible in the mixture sound speed.
Systems-of-systems architecting: educational findings and implications

Systems architecting, as envisioned by Dr. Eberhardt Rechtin, fits effective solutions to highly complex systems for which no deterministic solution can be found. This paper covers the application of such concepts in an academic environment with the intent on preparing students to meet the challenges of complex system design for both commercial and government scenarios, including net-centric system-of-systems analysis and design. Our focus in this paper is on the content and delivery of such classes, with emphasis on findings and lessons-learned.
Generalized Delaunay Mesh Refinement: From Scalar to Parallel

The contribution of the current paper is three-fold. First, we generalize the existing sequential point placement strategies for guaranteed quality Delaunay refinement: instead of a specific position for a new point, we derive a selection disk inside the circumdisk of a poor quality triangle. We prove that any point placement algorithm that inserts a point inside the selection disk of a poor quality triangle will terminate and produce a size-optimal mesh. Second, we extend our theoretical foundation for the parallel Delaunay refinement. Our new parallel algorithm can be used in conjunction with any sequential point placement strategy that chooses a point within the selection disk. Third, we implemented our algorithm in C++ for shared memory architectures and present the experimental results. Our data show that even on workstations with a few cores, which are now in common use, our implementation is significantly faster the best sequential counterpart.
Expected Planet and False Positive Detection Rates for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

The proposed Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will survey the entire sky to locate the nearest and brightest transiting extrasolar planets with orbital periods up to about 36 days. Here we estimate the number and kind of astrophysical false positives that TESS will report, along with the number of extrasolar planets. These estimates are then used to size the ground-based follow-up observing efforts needed to confirm and characterize the planets. We estimate that the needed observing resources will be about 1400 telescope-nights of imaging with 0.5m to 1m-class telescopes, 300 telescope-nights with 1m to 2m-class telescopes for the classification of the host stars and for radial velocity measurements with roughly 1 km/s precision, and 380 telescope-nights with 2m to 4m-class telescopes for radial velocity studies with precision of a few m/s. Follow-up spectroscopy of the smallest planets discovered by TESS at the best possible velocity precision will be limited by the number of telescope nights available on 4m to 10m class telescopes with instruments such as HARPS and HIRES, but the pay-off of such efforts will be the determination of masses for Super Earths with sufficient accuracy to distinguish rocky desert planets from water worlds.
Transcriptional analysis of the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258 mercury resistance determinant.

Abstract Northern blot DNA-RNA hybridization analysis of Staphylococcus aureus cells bearing pI258 showed that upon induction the amount of mer operon transcript present increased 49-fold over that observed in uninduced cells. Maximum induction occurred after 45 min in the presence of 5 microM HgCl2. Two transcripts, 5.0 and 5.8 kb long, were observed. Both transcripts encoded merR through merB (inclusive). Primer extension analysis determined that the 5' end of at least one transcript (and presumably of both) started at a T or G, 7 or 8 nucleotides downstream from the putative -10 site.
Biologic variability in NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin-I in healthy dogs and dogs with mitral valve degeneration.

Background The N-terminal fragment of the prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin-I are candidate biomarkers for cardiac disease in dogs. The degree of biologic variation in these biomarkers has not previously been reported in healthy dogs or dogs with mitral regurgitation. Objectives The purpose of the study was to derive estimates of intrinsic biologic variability and reference change values for NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin-I in healthy dogs and dogs with mitral regurgitation grade IB and II according to the International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) grading system. Methods Plasma and sera were collected weekly for up to 7 weeks from 12 control dogs and 9 dogs with mitral regurgitation. NT-proBNP and troponin-I (C-TnI) concentrations were determined. Indices of biologic variation such as reciprocal index of individuality (r-IoI) and reference change values (RCV) were calculated in both the groups. Results Individuality was high in control dogs and dogs with grade IB and II mitral valve regurgitation for both C-TnI (r-IoI 1.6 and 2) and NT-proBNP (1.5 and 2.7), while the 2-sided RCV for NT-proBNP was significantly lower in dogs with mitral regurgitation (52.5% vs 99.4%, P<0.01.). Conclusions High individuality of these cardiac biomarkers suggests that, following diagnosis, these assays are best interpreted by serial determination in individual canine patients rather than by comparison to a population-based reference interval. The smaller RCV values for dogs with mitral regurgitation suggest that smaller relative changes in NT-proBNP are clinically meaningful in these patients.
Interaction of genetics and epidemiology in the literature.

Abstract To evaluate the extent of interaction between genetics and epidemiology in studies reported in the literature, we reviewed all the "familial/genetic" papers published in a standard epidemiology journal (American Journal of Epidemiology, AJE) and all the "epidemiology" papers published in a standard human genetics journal (American Journal of Human Genetics, AJHG) between 1966 and 1984. A variety of medline subject headings were used in this search. Computerized listings of titles, subject headings, and abstracts were reviewed. It could be shown that familial/genetic papers constituted 4.3% of all papers published in AJE and epidemiology papers constituted 16.4% of papers published in AJHG. Over time, familial/genetic studies published in AJE increased both in number and in proportion of all papers, and more family studies are using complex statistical genetic techniques. On the other hand, epidemiology papers published in AJHG did not increase in number over time, and actually decreased in relation to all papers. These papers were mostly either descriptive (eg, defining frequencies of Mendelian traits in populations) or analytical (eg, defining risk factors for chromosomal abnormalities, and other reproductive outcomes). This analysis suggests that epidemiologic methods have been widely used in the genetic literature, and that genetic methods are gaining more access to the recent epidemiology literature. Because of increasing recognition of the role of genetic factors in disease, there is a growing need to incorporate both genetic and epidemiologic methods in etiologic studies of complex disorders.
Endovascular stent treatment of cervical internal carotid artery aneurysms with parent vessel preservation

BACKGROUND Aneurysms involving the cervical portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) frequently result from prior trauma or dissection. CASE DESCRIPTIONS Two patients are reported with cervical internal carotid artery aneurysms. In both cases, disease involving the contralateral ICA precluded safe treatment of the aneurysms by ICA occlusion. Endovascular stents placed across the diseased portion of the artery resulted in thrombosis of the aneurysm with preservation of the parent artery. CONCLUSION Endovascular stent placement should be considered for treatment of aneurysms involving the cervical ICA when preservation of the parent vessel is necessary.
Associations Between Improvements in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Sleep Disturbance Over Time in the CAMUS Trial

Purpose: We recently reported an association between the bother and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and the severity of sleep disturbance. However, few studies have examined whether alterations in the severity of urinary symptoms influence the degree of sleep problems over time.Materials and Methods: The severity of lower urinary tract symptoms in men enrolled in CAMUS (Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms), a clinical trial of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), was evaluated using AUASI (American Urological Association symptom index) and quality of life scores. Sleep disturbance was evaluated by the Jenkins sleep scale at 0, 24, 48 and 72 weeks. Statistical analyses were used to assess the relationship(s) between changes in lower urinary tract symptoms and sleep disturbance.Results: The baseline characteristics of the 339 men (172 placebo arm and 167 saw palmetto arm) enrolled in the CAMUS trial with assessment of sleep disturbance ...
Retention characteristics of several compound classes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with β-cyclodextrin as a mobile phase modifier

Abstract β-Cyclodextrin was investigated as a mobile phase modifier in the reversed-phase liquid chromatography of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen hetero-cycles and hydroxyl aromatics. A wide range of β-cyclodextrin concentrations was employed, and the retention properties of the compound classes were compared in methanol—water and ethanol—water mobile phases at 25°C. β-Cyclodextrin—solute dissociation constants were obtained for the compounds in several methanol—water and ethanol—water mobile phase compositions, using the chromatographic data. The trends in the retention data and dissociation constants for the compound classes were discussed. Several conclusions were drawn concerning the mechanism of retention when β-cyclodextrin is present in the mobile phases. Also, comparisons were made between the structural features of the compounds and their capacity factors and dissociation constants.
Survival factors in rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a highly aggressive fungal infection affecting diabetic, immunocompromised, and, occasionally, healthy patients. This infection is associated with significant mortality. We have reviewed 208 cases in the literature since 1970, 139 of which were presented in sufficient detail to assess prognostic factors, and added data from six of our patients. The histories of these 145 patients were analyzed for the following variables: 1) underlying conditions associated with mucormycotic infections; 2) incidence of ocular and orbital signs and symptoms; 3) incidence of nonocular signs and symptoms; 4) interval from symptom onset to treatment; and 5) the pattern of sinus involvement seen on imaging studies and noted at the time of surgery. Factors related to a lower survival rate include: 1) delayed diagnosis and treatment; 2) hemiparesis or hemiplegia; 3) bilateral sinus involvement; 4) leukemia; 5) renal disease; and 6) treatment with deferoxamine. The association of facial necrosis with a poor prognosis fell just short of statistical significance, but appears clinically important. This is the first review that documents the heretofore intuitive claim that early diagnosis is necessary to cure this disease. Standard treatment with amphotericin B and aggressive surgery are reviewed and adjunctive therapeutic modalities are discussed, including local amphotericin B irrigation, hyperbaric oxygen, and optimizing the immunosuppressive regimen in transplant patients. Hyperbaric oxygen was found to have a favorable effect on prognosis. In addition, possible treatment options for patients with declining renal function are reviewed.
Effect of Androgens on the Blood Count of Men

Eunuchoid patients treated actively with testosterone propionate or methyl testosterone1 frequently develop a rather striking increase in energy and a plethoric appearance. The observation of such changes led us to make serial determinations of the erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit and leucocyte levels of the blood and to attempt to correlate such changes as might occur with the basal metabolism. When it was realised that a distinct rise in red cell count and hemoglobin followed the use of androgens in certain cases, blood counts which previously had been made at random were also correlated with previous therapy where possible. These are included in cases 1 to 4. The data reported here were obtained on 12 patients. The shift of blood count in one of these has been reported (1) previously (case 3). Of these 12, eight were eunuchoids without evidence of pituitary disease; two hid signs of pituitary disorder, one dwarfism and one roentgenologic evidence of pituitary or suprasellar neoplasm; two were sexual...
Whitman in the (Latest) Soviet View

Examines, in the context of mid-eighties Cold-War culture, the social-centered and often "socialist" Soviet view of Whitman in contrast to the American view of Whitman which emphasizes the poet's self-reliance and personal identity.
Consciousness and self-reference

Reflection on the self's way of being “in” consciousness yields two arguments for a theory of self-reference not based inany wayat all on self-cognition. First, I show that one theory of self-reference predicts an experience of the self because the theory inadequately analyzes the semantical facts about indexicality. I construct a dilemma for this cognitivism, which it cannot get out of, for it requires evensolitary self-reference to be based on some original self-knowledge, which is not available. I describe my “kinetic model” of unspoken self-reference, and I show how it fits the facts of four forms of consciousness, all of which presuppose self-reference, rather than yield it. Second, aspeaker uses the first person pronoun in sentences because she is aware of the unmediated role in agency of the beliefs she would express, and not because she is aware of herself in their content. The cognitive model, in contrast, succumbs to a vicious regress and is exposed as an obstacle to an understanding of consciousness.
Fragmentation, merging, and internal dynamics for PIC simulation with finite size particles

Components of a new type of "smart PIC" algorithm, intended to bridge the gap between Eulerian fluid regimes and kinetic regimes, are developed. Enlarging the scope of PIC, the CPK method (Complex Particle Kinetic) concept uses an ensemble of small, fluid-like macro-particles to represent particle distributions in phase space. These macro-particles are Gaussian-shaped in both position and velocity compared to the phase-space delta functions used in standard PIC and the spatial "sugar cube" particles used in an early version of this model [1]. Time evolution is modeled by a combination of the Lagrangian motion and internal evolution within each individual macro-particle. An analytic term is added to each particle's shape that represents internal evolution consistent with the collisionless, free-streaming of each macro-particle. Collision-dominated, γ-law gas internal evolution is also developed to define the opposite limit of collisionality. Similar to our initial effort, macro-particles are aggressively fragmented in phase space to probe for emerging kinetic features and aggressively merged, for economy, if interesting features fail to materialize. With CPK, fragmentation in both position and velocity space can be accomplished without loss of significant phase space information. Fragmentation preserves the kinetic capabilities of PIC; merging dramatically shrinks the number of particles in non-kinetic or collisional regions. In collision-dominated regimes, merging naturally produces a few Lagrangian particles that act much as nodes in Free-Lagrangian hydrodynamics. The only interaction between neutral particles is through merging; no mesh-dependent pressure gradients are needed. Finally, a linked-list data structure significantly reduces time spent "sorting" nearest neighbors for potential merging--and should lead to straightforward MPP operation.
A Proactive Customer-Aware Resource Allocation Approach for Data Centers

Internet application workloads typically vary over time, periods of low demand alternate with spikes which, if not properly handled, can saturate the allocated infrastructure and violate Service Level Agreements. In this work, we leverage the usage patterns associated with the different customers of an Internet application to make tailored workload predictions. These workload predictions are then used to proactively adapt the allocation of resources in a data center right before load spikes happen. Such proactive allocation strategy improves the overall resource utilization and, at the same time, guarantees the service level agreements. A real life prototype has been implemented to compare our solution with both over-provisioning and reactive approaches. Results show up to 60% reduction in response time over a reactive approach with the same adaptation frequency, and up to 84% reduction in the amount of resources allocated compared to a typical over-provisioning approach.
Selective deletion of the NH2-terminal variable region of cardiac troponin T in ischemia-reperfusion by myofibril-associated μ-calpain cleavage

The structure of the NH2-terminal region of troponin T (TnT) is hypervariable among the muscle type-specific isoforms and is also regulated by alternative RNA splicing. This region does not contain binding sites for other thin filament proteins, but alteration of its structure affects the Ca2+ regulation of muscle contraction. Here we report a truncated cardiac TnT produced during myocardial ischemia reperfusion. Amino acid sequencing and protein fragment reconstruction determined that it is generated by a posttranslational modification selectively removing the NH2-terminal variable region and preserving the conserved core structure of TnT. Triton X-100 extraction of cardiac muscle fibers promoted production of the NH2-terminal truncated cardiac TnT (cTnT-ND), indicating a myofibril-associated proteolytic activity. μ-Calpain is a myofibril-associated protease and is known to degrade TnT. Supporting a role of μ-calpain in producing cTnT-ND in myocardial ischemia reperfusion, calpain inhibitors decreased th...
Short- and Long-Term Self-Regulation and Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors in Unmarried Heterosexual Young Adults

The goal of this study was to explore associations between short- and long-term self-regulation and dimensions of oral and coital sexual risk-taking in emerging adulthood. A total of 287 unmarried heterosexual young adults ages 18 to 26 years (62% female; 87% European American; 81% enrolled in college) provided study data via Internet surveys. High levels of long-term self-regulation predicted later initiation of oral sex and coitus, fewer lifetime coital partners, increased likelihood of condom and other contraceptive use at last intercourse, and low composite levels of coital risk. High levels of short-term self-regulation predicted reduced likelihood of condom use and high overall coital risk. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of these effects and potential directions for future research.
Sorting and Secretion of a Melanosome Membrane Protein, gp75/TRP1

The melanosome is an organelle specialized for melanin synthesis that is derived from the endocytic pathway. Several melanosome membrane proteins have been identified, forming a family of proteins known as tyrosinase-related proteins. Two members of this family, tyrosinase and gp75, are well-characterized melanocyte differentiation antigens. Our previous studies have shown that gp75, the mouse brown locus protein, is sorted to melanosomes along the endocytic pathway, directed by a hexapeptide sorting signal located in the cytoplasmic tail. In this study, we report the unexpected finding that a portion of gp75 is secreted. Substantial levels of secretory gp75 were detected in melanocytic cells. Cell surface expression of gp75 was also detected, representing 2% of cellular gp75. Characterization of secretory gp75 cells showed that it is: (i) a truncated form that lacks the transmembrane region, the cytoplasmic tail where the endosomal sorting signal is located, and a small portion of the lumenal domain; (ii) more extensively glycosylated than endocytic/melanosomal gp75, containing trans-Golgi processed sugar residues; and (iii) generated post-translationally in an acid sensitive compartment after processing in the trans-Golgi, and secreted rapidly after generation. Thus, these endocytic/melanosomal membrane proteins can be processed to abundant secretory forms, probably in an endocytic compartment through a potentially novel secretory pathway.
Myoelectric and mechanical changes elicited by ischemic preconditioning in the feline hindlimb

Tourniquet use is fraught with potential complications. For example, ischemia produced by the tourniquet may lead to nerve and muscle injuries. One technique shown in cardiovascular and free-flap surgery to improve the viability of muscle subjected to ischemia is preconditioning. This technique involves an initial brief period of ischemia, followed by reperfusion before a prolonged ischemic episode. The purpose of this study was to explore ischemic preconditioning as a method to reduce tourniquet-related morbidity. In six cats, one leg was preconditioned by 10 min of tourniquet-induced ischemia followed by 10 min of reperfusion. The contralateral limb was not preconditioned. Both limbs underwent 1 h of tourniquet inflation followed by a 2-h recovery period. Isometric force and electromyographic (EMG) amplitude were recorded throughout the procedure at 20-min intervals in both medial gastrocnemius muscles. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures shows that, after 60 min of tourniquet application, maximal isometric force was significantly larger in the preconditioned group. Furthermore, the EMG amplitude during recovery was found to be significantly larger in the preconditioned limbs. These results suggest that preconditioning improves skeletal muscle viability in vivo. Further research is needed, however, to assess the long-term effects of this technique, and to delineate appropriate preconditioning protocols that would improve surgical outcome without significantly increasing the complexity of the procedures.
Preferences of nephrologists among end-stage renal disease treatment options.

We surveyed 49 practicing nephrologists in North Carolina and determined their preferences among eight currently available end-stage renal disease treatment modalities using the method of paired comparisons. We also obtained background information about the nephrologists and their practices and data from the North Carolina Network about actual assignment of patients to treatment during the year prior to the survey. There was a striking congruence (p
An ethical justification and policy for making commitments during computerized residency application processes: The US matching program as a laboratory for needed reform.

The US National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) is a computerized, national system for matching residency applicants to programs. Similar systems exist in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and the need for such a program will probably make itself felt in the European Union soon. NRMP is an important laboratory for the ethical challenges that computerized matching programs create, especially its current prohibition of making commitments by both applicants and residency programs. Nonetheless, it would be denial to suppose that commitments are not being made and that there is no dishonesty when commitments are made. We analyze the current NRMP no-commitment policy by reference to Plato’s retelling of the myth of the Ring of Gyges, which makes its wearer physically invisible and therefore ethically unaccountable. Because applicants and programs complete their preference-lists in secret, the matching process inadvertently slips a Ring of Gyges on the fingers of both parties. As a result, making false commitments promotes the rational self-interest of both parties. To strengthen the professional integrity of the matching process, we argue that NRMP should abandon its no-commitment policy and adopt a new paradigm: sanctioning honest, non-contingent, accountable, one-party, and documented commitments. Computerized residency matching systems in other countries should consider the NRMP a laboratory and develop policies about making commitments that promote professionalism in the residency application process.
Technology Use in the Classroom: Preferences of Management Faculty Members

In this study, the authors investigated faculty members' preferences regarding the use of technologies as instructional tools in management courses. They mailed surveys to 500 management faculty members nationwide; 124 were returned with usable data. Respondents indicated that course subject and classroom environmental factors did not affect their use of preferred technologies; however, time constraint was an issue for most of the faculty members, particularly for women. Female faculty members were also more likely than their male colleagues to see their perception of students' learning style as limiting the effective use of their preferred instructional technologies.
Palliative Treatment and the Role of Surgical Resection in Gastric Cancer

Adenocarcinoma of the stomach is often diagnosed in the late stages of the disease. Surgical resection of all gross and microscopic disease is essential for curative treatment. Complete resection is often not achievable when patients present with advanced stage IV cancer. In the absence of symptoms, chemotherapy without resection has been the standard of care in most major centers. With improvements in response to chemotherapy and less invasive surgical approaches, patients with metastatic gastric cancer have had better survival outcomes than in the past. The challenge today when treating these patients is in defining who will benefit from more aggressive interventions. Reviewing the literature for guidance is difficult because the goals of treatment are often not clearly defined. Finding the proper balance of aggressiveness needed to extend survival while preserving and maximizing quality of life is a decision that clinicians have to make with increasing frequency. This review will attempt to provide a framework to aid in determining what role, if any, gastrectomy has in the management of patients with stage IV gastric cancer.
Morphological and quantitative evaluation of olfactory bulb development in Xenopus after olfactory placode transplantation

We found previously that the number of olfactory axons is correlated with the number of mitral/tufted cells (output neurons of the olfactory bulb) during normal larval development. To examine the significance of this quantitative relationship, we evaluated the effects of transplanting an extra olfactory placode on the development of the larval olfactory bulb. We found that the transplanted tissue retained the normal, pseudostratified, columnar appearance and had the same cell types as normal olfactory epithelium, and the olfactory bulbs had the same laminar organization as control bulbs. With gross examination of the olfactory bulb, the side innervated by the transplant appeared slightly larger than the contralateral side in animals analyzed at a young larval stage (stage 50) and in 2 of the 9 animals examined at late larval stages (57/58). Tissue sections and area measurements, however, revealed that the volume of the olfactory bulbs in animals with a transplant was not significantly different from control values. Our quantitative analysis also showed that in stage-50 animals with a transplant, the total number of olfactory axons (in nerves from the transplanted and host olfactory organs) appeared to be greater than in control animals, but not to a statistically significant level. The number of mitral/tufted cells was not different from controls. In animals examined at stage 57/58, there was no differnce from controls in either the total number of olfactory axons, total number of mitral/tufted cells, or convergence ratio of olfactory axons onto mitral/tufted cells. Thus, in the late-stage larvae, the quantitative relationship between olfactory axons and mitral/tufted cells was not altered by the experimental manipulation. These results suggest that the olfactory bulb can regulate the number of affernt fibers. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elastic properties of dry clay mineral aggregates, suspensions and sandstones

The presence of clay minerals can alter the elastic behaviour of rocks significantly. Although clay minerals are common in sedimentary formations and seismic measurements are our main tools for studying subsurface lithologies, measurements of elastic properties of clay minerals have proven difficult. Theoretical values for the bulk modulus of clay are reported between 20 and 50 GPa. The only published experimental measurement of Young's modulus in a clay mineral using atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) gave a much lower value of 6.2 GPa. This study has concentrated on using independent experimental methods to measure the elastic moduli of clay minerals as functions of pressure and saturation. First, ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities were measured as functions of hydrostatic pressure in cold-pressed clay aggregates with porosity and grain density ranging from 4 to 43 per cent and 2.13 to 2.83 g cm - 3 , respectively. In the second experiment, P- and S-wave velocities in clay powders were measured under uniaxial stresses compaction. In the third experiment, P-wave velocity and attenuation in a kaolinite-water suspension with clay concentrations between 0 and 60 per cent were measured at ambient conditions. Our elastic moduli measurements of kaolinite, montmorillonite and smectite are consistent for all experiments and with reported AFAM measurements on a nanometre scale. The bulk modulus values of the solid clay phase (K s ) lie between 6 and 12 GPa and shear (μ s ) modulus values vary between 4 and 6 GPa. A comparison is made between the accuracy of velocity prediction in shaley sandstones and clay-water and clay-sand mixtures using the values measured in this study and those from theoretical models. Using K s = 12 GPa and μ s = 6 GPa from this study, the models give a much better prediction both of experimental velocity reduction due to increase in clay content in sandstones and velocity measurements in a kaolinite-water suspension.
The predictive power of depression screening procedures for veterans with coronary artery disease

Depression leads to a worse outcome for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, accurately identifying depression in CAD patients is imperative. In many veterans affairs (VA) hospitals, patients are screened for depression once a year using the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Although the PHQ-9 is generally considered a specific and sensitive measure of depression, there is reason to believe that these screening procedures may miss a large number of cases of depression within CAD patients and cardiology patients more generally. The goal of this study was to provide data as to the predictive power of this depression screening procedure by (a) comparing the prevalence rate of depression identified by the PHQ-9 to known prevalence rates and (b) examining whether patients identified as “depressed” also had conditions that consistently co-occur with depression (eg, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], other medical issues). Participants were 813 consecutive patients who received an angiogram in the cardiac catheterization laboratory at a large VA Medical Center. Prevalence of depression was 6.9% in the overall sample and less than 6% when the sample was restricted to CAD patients with significant stenosis. Depression was significantly associated with PTSD, smoking, and alcohol problems. However, depression was not associated with other medical problems such as diabetes, renal failure, peripheral vascular disease, or anemia. In conclusion, the low prevalence rate of depression and lack of associations with comorbid medical problems may suggest that the VA’s depression screening procedures have low sensitivity for identifying depression in CAD patients. It is recommended that clinicians treating CAD regularly screen for depression and do not rely on archival depression screens.
Science Librarians Analysis of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics: The Work of Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt, and Adam G. Riess

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 was awarded to scientists from two different research collaborations that independently and contemporaneously discovered from observations of distant supernovae that the universe's expansion is accelerating. One half of the prize was awarded to Saul Perlmutter and the other half jointly to Brian P. Schmidt and Adam G. Riess. The findings, first reported in 1998, shocked the cosmology community, as the prevailing theory at the time favored a “closed” or “steady-state” universe, rather than one wherein the universe expands faster and faster, ultimately ending as a cold, dark, (largely) empty space. It was, perhaps, fortuitous that two independent groups came up with the same result using different methods, as it offered an immediate initial verification of the, at the time, very controversial results.
Developments in Transnational Research Linkages: Evidence from U.S. Higher-education Activity

In our knowledge-driven era, multiple and mutual benefits accrue from transnational research linkages. The article identifies important directions in transnational research collaborations involving U.S. universities revealed by key dimensions of 369 projects profiled on a U.S. higher-education association’s database. Project initiators, principal research fields, regional and country distributions, and the sources and amounts of funding for different types of transnational research activity are selected for analysis. The balanced total portfolio of reported current research projects by region suggests that U.S. university principal investigators increasingly recognize the value of collaborative knowledge generation in the Global South as well as in other OECD countries. The data also show concentrations in the distribution of transnational research projects by principal field of activity that could exacerbate intra-regional asymmetries. The multi-institutional data draw attention to the often unnoticed, but vital, role that higher-education institutions play in supporting transnational research endeavors that address issues of current and future global concern. The conclusion considers wider implications for higher-education involvement in transnational knowledge generation and calls for increased symmetry in collaborative research ventures.
BMP7 signaling in renal development and disease

Fibrosis, and in particular tubulointerstitial fibrosis, is a common feature of almost all chronic renal diseases. Over the past several years, significant progress has been made in defining the underlying mechanisms of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. In a variety of mouse models, expression of transforming growth factor-β is a primary causative factor which leads to increased numbers of myofibroblasts, collagen deposition and loss of tubular epithelia. More recently, another member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, BMP7, was shown to counteract transforming growth factor-β-mediated fibrosis. The activities of these secreted factors are regulated, in part, by extracellular ligand binding proteins which can enhance or suppress receptor ligand interactions.
16O(γ, n0)15O cross section between 35 and 65 MeV

Abstract The 67.5° ground state cross section for 16 O(γ, n 0 ) 15 O was measured for the photon energy range of 35 to 65 MeV. The results indicate no strong structure. In addition, the cross section to the 6.16 MeV state in 15 O was measured with less certainty.
Nitric oxide regulation of methamphetamine-induced dopamine release in caudate/putamen.

Abstract A possible role for NO modulation of dopamine (DA) release in the caudate/putamen (CPU) during methamphetamine (METH) exposure was investigated using in vivo microdialysis in rats. Inclusion of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors N G -nitro- l -arginine (NOARG), N G -nitro- l -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or D-NAME (less potent inhibitor) in the microdialysis buffer prior to METH minimally affected basal levels of DA, DOPAC or HVA in CPU microdialysate. However, L-NAME and NOARG produced concentration-dependent decreases of up to 64% (100 μM) in CPU DA levels in microdialysate during exposure to four doses of METH (5 mg/kg i.p./2h), with lesser effects on DOPAC or HVA. Reversal of the NOARG inhibition was produced by inclusion of 500 μM of either l -arginine or l -citrulline in the microdialysate. D-NAME (100 μM) minimally affected levels of DA or metabolites. Paradoxically, inclusion of from 20 to 2 μM of the NO x generators isosorbide dinitrate (ISON) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in the microdialysis buffer decreased DA and DOPAC levels in microdialysate during METH exposure. This paradox might result from the concentrations of NO x produced by SNP or ISON being great and not regionally specific resulting in inhibition of DA release and/or synthesis while the NO generated endogenously during METH exposure may have localized and site-specific actions. Alternatively, NO x may inhibit NOS or other enzymes in the NO synthesis pathway, thereby reducing levels of an intermediate (other than NO) which potentiates DA release. In their entirety, our results indicate that NO generation in the CPU may augment the release of DA during METH exposure.