cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engaging multi-stakeholder perspectives to identify dementia care research priorities.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to partner with stakeholders to identify gaps in care for persons living with dementia and their family caregivers and from this list, identify priorities for dementia care research. Methods Using a community-engaged research approach, a Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC) consisting of diverse membership including persons living with dementia and family caregivers was convened. Through our work with the SAC, along with input from the wider network through a symposium, webinars, and an online learning community, gaps in dementia care and a list of topics for dementia care research was generated. This list was reduced to 46 topics for dementia care research and sent to stakeholders (persons living with dementia, family caregivers, and health/social care professionals in dementia care) to be prioritized by rating each of the 46 topics as "Not so important," "Important," or "Very important." Priorities for dementia care were summarized by frequencies and proportions. Results A total of 186 participants completed the survey from August through October 2020, including 23 (12.4%) persons living with dementia, 101 (54.3%) family caregivers, and 62 (33.3%) health/social care professionals. Consistent across stakeholder groups was the focus on research on how best to support families following a diagnosis of dementia. Among persons living with dementia, research focused on support for continuing to live in their own homes was ranked as the highest priority, rated by 91.3% as "Very Important". High priority research areas for family caregivers included interventions to slow cognitive decline (76.3%) as well as non-pharmacological approaches to manage behavioral symptoms (74.7%). The highest priority research topics for health/social care professionals were focused on the diagnosis including benefits of an early diagnosis (71.4%), how best to deliver the diagnosis (70.9%), and supports needed following a diagnosis (78.6%). Conclusions This project draws on the strengths of its multi-stakeholder perspective to support patient-centered outcomes research. Findings are intended to inform those who conduct research and those who fund research about which research topics stakeholders believe are most important and thus have greatest potential to improve the quality of life among people living with dementia and their families.
On the climate and climate change of Sitka, Southeast Alaska

Sitka, located in southeastern coastal Alaska, is the only meteorological station in Alaska and northern coastal British Columbia, with a long climatological record, going back to the first half of the nineteenth century. Sitka was the capital of Alaska, when it was part of the Russian Empire, to which Alaska belonged until 1867, when the American government purchased it. In 1827, the Russian established an observatory on Baranof Island, Sitka Harbor, which made 17-hourly observations, later extended to 19 and thereafter to all hours of the day. When analyzing the data, the 12-day time difference between the Russian (Julian) calendar, at which the observations were made, and ours (Gregorian) has to be considered. The climate of Sitka is maritime, with relative warm winter temperatures—there is no month with a mean temperature below freezing—and moderately warm summer temperatures with 4 months above the 10 °C level and plentiful precipitation all-year long. It is the warmest zone of Alaska. Even though there is a substantial break in observations in the late nineteenth century, these are the only observation, which started so early in the nineteenth century. Systematic US-based observations commenced much later normally in connection with the gold rush, whaling in Northern Alaska, and the fur trade, predominantly along the Yukon River. During the 186 years of observations from 1827 to 2013, the best linear fit gave a temperature increase of 1.56 °C for the whole period or 0.86 °C per century, somewhat lower than expected for the relatively high latitudes. The increase was nonlinear, with several multi-decadal variations. However, when comparing the first normal (1831–1860) to the last normal (1981–2010) and assuming a linear trend, a higher value of 1.06 °C per century was calculated. The discrepancy might be explained by nonlinearity and the fact that during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, observations were sporadic. Furthermore, the observed warming is less pronounced than the values found for Interior and especially Arctic Alaska for later time period for which such a comparison was possible (Wendler et al. 2014). Significant correlation values were found with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the North Pacific (NP) Index, El Nino 3.4, and the 18.4 years nodal tide; the latter was previously reported in an excellent investigation by T. Royer (1993).
Gas Content and Composition

The process of soil aeration is an important determinant of soil productivity. Gases can move either in the air phase or in dissolved form through the water phase. The rate of transfer of gases in the air phase is generally much greater than in the water phase; hence, soil aeration depends largely on the volume fraction of air-filled pores. An early approach to the problem of measuring aeration was to determine the fractional air space, or air-filled porosity, at a standard value of soil wetness. This was done by taking an “undisturbed’’ sample from a soil presumed to be at its “field capacity” moisture content. Another traditional approach is to measure the composition of soil air. The difficulty in this approach is in the extraction of an air sample at once, large enough to provide a reliable measurement and yet small enough to represent the sampled point, and to avoid the disturbance and mixing of soil air or even contamination from the atmosphere. The gas chromatograph technique that uses a syringe to extract small samples helps to make the measurement more reliable. The determination of respiratory quotient in a soil is a sensitive method for checking if the whole body of the soil is aerobic.
A Survey of Intron Research in Genetics

A brief survey of biological research on non-coding DNA is presented here. There has been growing interest in the effects of non-coding segments in evolutionary algorithms (EAs). To better understand and conduct research on non-coding segments and EAs, it is important to understand the biological background of such work. This paper begins with a review of basic genetics and terminology, describes the different types of non-coding DNA, and then surveys recent intron research.
Low frequency characteristics of thermal voltage converters

Low frequency errors of thin-film multijunction thermal voltage converters are estimated using a simple model based on easily measured parameters. The model predictions are verified by measuring the converter's frequency characteristic using a digitally synthesized source.
Fatty Acid Oxidation

The regulation of fatty acid oxidation is multifaceted, but the oxidation of fatty acids can only proceed once fatty acids gave gained entry to mitochondria. The mechanisms of transmembrane and transcellular movement of fatty acids may involve a number of fatty acid-binding proteins. The gateway into mitochondria may be regulated by carnitine palmitoyltransferase. Keywords: lipolysis; transport; carnitine transferases; malonyl-CoA; β-oxidation; ketogenesis
Inflammation and Frailty in Older Women

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate relationships between white blood cell (WBC) count and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and prevalent frailty. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Two population-based studies, the Women's Health and Aging Studies (WHAS) I and II, Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred fifty-eight women aged 65 to 101 from WHAS I and 548 women aged 70 to 79 from the merged WHAS I and II cohorts. MEASUREMENTS: Frailty was determined using validated screening criteria. WBC counts and IL-6 levels were measured using standard laboratory methods. Odds ratios (ORs) for frailty were evaluated across tertiles of baseline WBC counts and IL-6 levels, adjusting for age, race, education, body mass index, and smoking status. RESULTS: In WHAS I, those in the top tertile of WBC count and IL-6 had ORs of 4.25 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.89–9.58) and 3.98 (95% CI=1.76–9.00), respectively, for frailty (both P<.001). In the combined models, participants in the top tertile of WBC count had an OR of 3.15 (95% CI=1.34–7.41), adjusting for IL-6 (P<.01), and those in the top tertile of IL-6 had an OR of 2.81 (95% CI=1.19–6.64), adjusting for WBC count (P<.05). Furthermore, participants in the top tertiles of WBC count and IL-6 had an OR of 9.85 (95% CI=3.04–31.99), and those in the middle/top tertiles had an OR of 5.40 (95% CI=1.83–15.92) (P<.001, trend test) for frailty. These results were validated in the merged WHAS I and II. CONCLUSION: Higher WBC counts and IL-6 levels were independently associated with prevalent frailty in community-dwelling older women.
Testing for resistive opens and stuck opens

This paper studies the behavior of stuck and resistive open defects. The effects on test results of three test conditions (supply voltage, speed, temperature) as well as test patterns applied are evaluated. Diagnosis schemes for stuck and resistive opens are also presented. Five Murphy chips are diagnosed as having stuck open defects and one chip is diagnosed as having a resistive open defect. Their experimental data match our expectations for stuck opens and resistive opens.
Reproductive Timing of the Telescope Shiner, Notropis telescopus, in Alabama, USA

Gonadal condition of the cyprinid stream fish Notropis telescopus (telescope shiner) was monitored from Feb. to Sep. to determine reproductive schedule. The study site was at the southern limit of species range in northeastern Alabama. Notropis species are multiple batch spawners with strong seasonality to gonadal size and condition. The number of maturing oocytes observed in ovaries was at a peak from Apr. to Jul., with strong majorities of oocytes at the most mature stages in Apr., May and Jun. Ripe and fully mature ovaries were found in fish collected in Apr., May and Jun. A pronounced peak in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was found in Jun. for both males and females. The evidence points to an Alabama spawning season from Apr. to Jul., peaking in the middle of this season.
Aortic dissection in hospitalized children and young adults: a multiinstitutional study.

Objective. To describe the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of hospitalized children and young adults with aortic dissection (AD). Design. Retrospective review. Setting. The Pediatric Health Information System database, a multiinstitutional administrative database. Patients. All index cases of patients <30 years old hospitalized with AD between January 2004 and June 2011. Outcome Measures. The primary outcome measure was inpatient mortality. Results. Of 3 800 964 hospitalizations, AD was identified in 124 (<1%), accounting for 110 patients (69% male, P = .003) at a median age of 12.9 (interquartile range 3.9–16.8) years with a bimodal distribution in infancy and late adolescence. Associated diagnoses included congenital heart disease (CHD) (38%), trauma (24%), connective tissue disease (CTD) (16%), and isolated hypertension (HTN) (8%). Common CHD diagnoses included aortic arch (24%) and valve (21%) disease, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (10%), and transposition of the great arteries (10%). CHD patients were younger and more likely to undergo inpatient non–AD-related cardiovascular procedures compared with other diagnostic groups (P < .001 for both). Marfan and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome were present in 72% and 11% of CTD patients, respectively. Overall in-hospital mortality in patients with AD was 13% compared with 1% in the database population (odds ratio 12.0, 95% confidence interval 6.9–21.1). By diagnostic category, mortality was 22% in HTN, 22% in CTD, 12% in CHD, and 4% in trauma. Conclusions. AD is rare in children and young adults but most commonly occurs in CHD and CTD and in males. AD is associated with high inpatient mortality.
Frame-by-frame PRESS 1H-MRS of the brain at 3 T: the effects of physiological motion.

1H-MRS at high field has been increasingly utilized to study brain metabolism in healthy and pathological states. The aim of this work was to determine the effects of physiological motion on the results of this exam in the presence of the increased susceptibility differences at high field. Single voxel spectra of various regions in the human brain were acquired using frame-by-frame PRESS 1H-MRS at a 0.5 Hz sampling rate. The frame-by-frame variations of the FID phase and the frequency and fractional amplitude variations of the residual water-signal were analyzed. In the human brain the standard deviations of these variations were 3.9 ± 0.5°, 0.83 ± 0.32 Hz, and 0.028 ± 0.013 of the mean amplitude (n = 15). In a motionless phantom, smaller phase and frequency variations were detected in water-suppressed acquisitions. However, the end effects of physiological motion on PRESS 1H-MRS of the brain at 3 T were negligible. Magn Reson Med 51:184–187, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distributed demand response for plug-in electrical vehicles in the smart grid

In this paper, we propose a new model of demand response management for the future smart grid that integrates plug-in electric vehicles. A price scheme considering fluctuation cost is developed. We consider a market where users have the flexibility to sell back the energy generated from their distributed generators or the energy stored in their plug-in electric vehicles. A distributed optimization algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers is developed to solve the optimization problem, in which consumers need to report their aggregated load only to the utility company, thus ensuring their privacy. Consumers can update their load scheduling simultaneously and locally to speed up the optimization computing. Using numerical examples, we show the demand curve is flattened after the optimization, thus reducing the cost paid by the utility company. The distributed algorithm is also shown to reduce the users' daily bills.
A stereoencephalographic study of ictal propagation producing anisocoria, auras of fear, and complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin

Abstract A case of temporal lobe seizures with anisocoria and auras of fear, helplessness and irritability was studied to determine the relationship of these phenomena to the electrical activity of the temporal and orbital frontal sites. Ictal onsets were recorded arising from medial temporal structures. A second case is briefly commented on. Anisocoria was found to be associated with ictal activity in the amygdala, whereas fear was associated with ictal discharges in the midtemporal gyrus. The speed of the spread of ictal discharges from the initial focus to secondarily involved medial temporal structures sampled by depth electrodes was significantly related to the complexity of the behavioral phenomena, i.e., to the appearance of a simple, complex partial, or secondarily generalized seizure. The literature on the neuroanatomical connections of the amygdala is reviewed in order to formulate a hypothesis to account for the observation of anisocoria. We conclude that (a) amygdalar discharges can produce anisocoria through indirect paths, (b) subtle clinical changes may be associated with ictal discharges observable only on depth electrodes, and (c) the tendency for a seizure to progress from a simple partial to a generalized seizure is related to the velocity of propagation from the primary focus to other sites.
Mortality associated with birth defects: influence of successive disease classification revisions.

INTRODUCTION The National Vital Statistics System is the fundamental source of mortality statistics in the United States. The cause-of-death classification which is used to assign medical terms to a standard taxonomy is revised periodically, and it is necessary to account for these changes when investigating trends. This paper presents birth defects mortality statistics and preliminary information on the most recent transition between revisions of the classification. METHODS Descriptive statistics are presented using multiple cause and underlying cause counts, rankings of leading causes of death, infant mortality rates, and age-adjusted death rates. Comparability results are based upon records that have been coded using two separate classifications. RESULTS Birth defects remain the leading cause of death for infants and among the leading causes for younger age groups. The trend for birth defect mortality shows that the risk of dying from birth defects decreased between 1950 and 2000. The effect of implementing successive revisions of the cause-of-death classification was relatively minor until the implementation of the most recent revision. Fewer records are assigned to birth defects in the latest revision than in the previous revision. DISCUSSION Researchers investigating mortality trends related to birth defects need to be aware that the cause-of-death classification changes periodically. The effect of the changes between two successive classifications can be measured and explained. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:651–655, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optically Interconnected Processor Arrays with Switching Capability

Array Processors with Pipelined Buses (APPBs) are hybrid optical-electronic multiprocessor architectures in which message-pipelined optical buses are used for interprocessor communications. Presented in this paper is a structural variation of the basic APPB which utilizes optical switches to provide the capability of switching messages between buses without their being relayed by intermediate processors. Such switching capability eliminates the optical-electronic-optical signal conversion due to message relays and offers improved communication efficiency. We discuss routing issues, evaluate bandwidth improvement, and present efficient communications including matrix transpose, binary tree routing, and perfect shuffle which take advantage of the switching capability.
Recreational drug use concurrent with abuse or dependence on other psychoactive substances

In an effort to identify instances of the non-problematic use of a drug concurrent with the problematic use of one or more other drugs, we used structured interviews to obtain comprehensive drug use histories from 48 clients admitted to an intensive outpatient program. We classified clients on the basis of whether they demonstrated evidence of concurrent problematic and non-problematic drug use (Index and Probable Index cases) or only problematic drug use patterns (Non-Index cases). Both Index and Non-Index drug use patterns were about equally common in our sample. Both Index and Probable Index cases used a variety of drugs in a non-problematic manner and were generally congruent in their self-labelling of their drug use relative to their DSM-IV status for each drug used. We discuss several limitations of the study, including our reliance on retrospective, self-report data; potential problems with generalization to other populations; and possible changes in drug use patterns over time.
Service to servitude? The decline and demise of life-cycle service in England

Life-cycle service was an essential institution in early-modern England that slowly died during the transition from a pre-industrial to a fully industrial economy. A socially pervasive and culturally broad movement of young people from their parental homes to live and serve in the homes of others, life-cycle service was integral to the demographic, economic, and social framework of the era and could not survive when that framework changed. This article examines the institution of life-cycle service, some of the underlying demographic, economic, and social structure that supported it, the changes in that structure that led to its demise, and the ramifications for young people of that demise. Although inevitable, the loss of life-cycle service with its broad social base denigrated service as an institution and was not without other costs especially for young women.
Quasi-group-velocity matching for optical frequency mixers

We propose a method to compensate for group-velocity mismatch (GVM) effects that limit the efficiency-bandwidth product in optical frequency (OF) mixers. Integrated wavelength-dependent delay lines are introduced in a waveguide containing a series of QPM gratings. Appropriate choice of the time delays can compensate for GVM. We have demonstrated a two-stage quasi-group-velocity matching (QGVM) device in a periodically-poled lithium niobate waveguide. Two approximately 150-fs-long pulses generated 6 ps apart by SHG in two QPM gratings were re-synchronized by the fixed delay line, and their relative phase fine controlled by temperature tuning. The technique, which can be iterated to more than two segments, enables OF mixers of higher efficiency-bandwidth product than would be possible in a single grating short enough to evade GVM effects.
Fusion Fore Dilation by Snare Proteins

Hormones and neurotransmitters are released through exocytotic fusion pores (FPs) that can flicker open and shut multiple times, fluctuate in conductance, and either dilate or reseal irreversibly. FP properties determine the size and the amount of cargo released, and the time course of release, which modulate downstream effects. Fusion is driven by formation of a four-helix complex between the neuronal/exocytotic vesicle-associated v-SNARE VAMP2/synaptobrevin-2 (VAMP2) and its cognate plasma-membrane t-SNARE partner composed of syntaxin-1 and SNAP25. Pore nucleation requires zippering between the v- and t-SNAREs, but what molecular factors govern the subsequent pore dilation is not understood. Here, using conductance measurements across voltage-clamped single FPs we show that multiple SNARE proteins cooperate to dilate metastable FPs. We isolated flickering fusion pores in a biochemically defined assay where v-SNARE-reconstituted bilayer nanodiscs (vNDs) fuse with cells ectopically expressing cognate, “flipped” t-SNAREs. Using newly developed, large NDs that are 21-27 nm in diameter, we varied v-SNARE copy numbers from zero to up to 11 per ND face. Pore nucleation required a minimum of 2, and reached a maximum above ∼4 copies per face, but the probability of pore dilation was far from saturating at 11 copies, the maximum that the NDs could hold per face. Our results indicate that copy numbers of available SNAREs may be pivotal in determining whether neurotransmitters or hormones are released through a transient (kiss & run) or an irreversibly dilating pore (full fusion) and provide a rationale as to why synaptic vesicles carrying 70 copies of v-SNAREs dock onto sites where as many t-SNAREs are clustered while only a few SNARE complexes are apparently enough to achieve fusion.
Combining phase I and phase II in a potential reduction algorithm for linear programming

This paper describes an affine potential reduction algorithm for linear programming that simultaneously seeks feasibility and optimality. The algorithm is closely related to a similar method of Anstreicher. The new features are that we use a two-dimensional programming problem to derive better lower bounds than Anstreicher, that our direction-finding subproblem treats phase I and phase II more symmetrically, and that we do not need an initial lower bound. Our method also allows for the generation of a feasible solution (so that phase I is terminated) during the course of the iterations, and we describe two ways to encourage this behavior.
Time-domain theory for computing excited state optical lineshapes induced by non-radiative coupling in the single bright state approximation

Abstract Electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectra are studied for the case in which a sparse manifold of radiatively bright zeroth-order states is non-radiatively coupled to a dense manifold of dark states. In particular, a time-domain approach to the computation of the resonance lineshapes induced by non-radiative coupling is presented and successfully tested in two numerical examples. The outlook for further applications is briefly discussed.
An interactive educational drawing system using a humanoid robot and light polarization

In this paper we propose an educational robotic system for teaching kids at nursery schools how to write and draw simple shapes. Our system uses the humanoid robot NAO to draw shapes appearing on a computer screen. The system uses light polarization property for fast detection of the screen despite of its content. We also propose a mapping from the image domain to the robot space.
To Reveal the Genomes

The Human Genome Project, originating 20 years ago, and its many sequelae are certainly one of the greatest scientific successes of recent times. It is often said that success has a thousand fathers, and varied groups have claimed the project's origin. One of these was the workshop held at the University of California–Santa Cruz (UCSC) in May 1985 with the topic “Can We Sequence the Human Genome?” This workshop followed a letter I wrote in November 1984 as Chancellor of UCSC to University of California President David Gardner, in which I proposed a use for a considerable sum of money that the university had but seemed likely to lose.
Fluidization and entrainment of difficult-to-fluidize fine powdermixed with easy-to-fluidize large particles

Abstract Entrainment of silicon fines mixed with large silicon nitride particles and mixed with large silicon particles wasmeasured. A model is proposed to account for attrition and elutriation based on the assumption that the fine powder is in one of three forms: (a) elutriable freely moving fines, (b) agglomerates of fines, (c) fines attached to large particles. Elutriation rate constants and attrition rates were then evaluated at various particle mixing ratios and gas velocities.
Crowd out effects of place-based subsidized rental housing: New evidence from the LIHTC program

Abstract Since its inception in 1987, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program has ballooned into the largest ever source of subsidized construction of low-income housing in the United States, accounting for one-third of all recent multi-family rental construction. This paper examines the crowd out effects of this increasingly important source of low-moderate income housing. To do so, we analyze the impact of LIHTC construction at three different levels of geography, MSA, county, and 10-mile radius circles. This allows us to employ increasingly extensive geographic fixed effects that help to difference away unobserved factors. Political variables are also used as instruments to further facilitate identification. In all of our models, IV estimates yield substantially greater crowd out than OLS, confirming the endogenous attraction of LIHTC development to areas ripe for new construction. Our most robust IV estimates indicate that nearly 100% of LIHTC development is offset by a reduction in the number of newly built unsubsidized rental units, although the confidence band around this point estimate allows for less dramatic assessments. Additional estimates suggest that LIHTC development has a much more moderate impact on construction of owner-occupied housing, but these estimates are imprecise. Overall, while LIHTC development may well affect the location of low-moderate income rental housing opportunities, our estimates suggest that the impact of the program on the number of newly developed rental housing units appears to be small.
β-D-glucan surveillance with preemptive anidulafungin for invasive candidiasis in intensive care unit patients: a randomized pilot study.

Background: Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a devastating disease. While prompt antifungal therapy improves outcomes, empiric treatment based on the presence of fever has little clinical impact. B-D-Glucan (BDG) is a fungal cell wall component detectable in the serum of patients with early invasive fungal infection (IFI). We evaluated the utility of BDG surveillance as a guide for preemptive antifungal therapy in at-risk intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: Patients admitted to the ICU for $3 days and expected to require at least 2 additional days of intensive care were enrolled. Subjects were randomized in 3:1 fashion to receive twice weekly BDG surveillance with preemptive anidulafungin in response to a positive test or empiric antifungal treatment based on physician preference. Results: Sixty-four subjects were enrolled, with 1 proven and 5 probable cases of IC identified over a 2.5 year period. BDG levels were higher in subjects with proven/probable IC as compared to those without an IFI (117 pg/ml vs. 28 pg/ml; p,0.001). Optimal assay performance required 2 sequential BDG determinations of $80 pg/ml to define a positive test (sensitivity 100%, specificity 75%, positive predictive value 30%, negative predictive value 100%). In all, 21 preemptive and 5 empiric subjects received systemic antifungal therapy. Receipt of preemptive antifungal treatment had a significant effect on BDG concentrations (p, 0.001). Preemptive anidulafungin was safe and generally well tolerated with excellent outcome. Conclusions: BDG monitoring may be useful for identifying ICU patients at highest risk to develop an IFI as well as for monitoring treatment response. Preemptive strategies based on fungal biomarkers warrant further study.
Endovascular repair of blunt aortic injury in a patient with situs inversus and dextrocardia

A 24-year-old male pedestrian with situs inversus and dextrocardia was struck by a car and sustained multiple injuries, including a pseudoaneurysm of the proximal descending thoracic aorta. A thoracic endograft was deployed to exclude the blunt aortic injury. We are not aware of any report of endovascular repair of blunt aortic injury in a patient with this congenital finding. A brief review of the literature is also included.
The evolution of the geography of religious adherence in the Philippines before 1898

Abstract The introduction and acceptance of exotic religious institutions and identities greatly influenced the process of national development in the Philippines. The agents of Islam, largely unsupported by outside forces, were initially active in many parts of the archipelago after about the thirteenth century. Roman Catholic missionaries, arriving 200 years later but supported by an elaborate colonial edifice, introduced their faith through an expanding network of fixed mission centres. Distinctive and sometimes intricate geographies resulted from differing social and geographical strategies of conversion. The most general result was the division of Philippine societies into the Christian lowlands of Luzon; the central islands and northern Mindanao; the several Muslim areas of western Mindanao and Sulu; and the persisting local ethnic religious systems of the highlands.
The relationship between wafer surface pressure and wafer backside loading in Chemical Mechanical Polishing

To have a good carrier head design, it is important to understand the relationship between wafer surface pressure distribution and wafer backside loading by the carrier head. A theoretical study based on a simplified Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) system is presented in this paper. It shows that, to have a uniform pressure distribution, wafer backside pressure will not be uniform and, theoretically, it is impossible to achieve such loading. It also points out that, contradicting to common understanding, uniform backside pressure will lead to nonuniform wafer surface pressure and edge effect. The presented theory may be used as a tool for further optimization of carrier head design and a base for more realistic modeling on specific tool designs.
GPS ground networks for water cycle sensing

Tens of thousands of high-precision GPS receivers are operating around the world. With very few exceptions, the purpose of these receivers is to measure position. However, it is now known that GPS signals that reflect off nearby land surfaces and collected by these receivers can be used to measure shallow soil moisture variations, snow depth, and vegetation water content. These terrestrial water cycle products are distinctive in that they can be derived using widely-available GPS instruments. A water cycle portal created from data collected by a large GPS network in the western United States, the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory, is now available. It is updated daily at http://xenon.colorado.edu/portal. These data can be used for climate studies and satellite validation.
Prevention of local lipotoxicity: a new renoprotective mechanism of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α activation in hypertension and obesity?

Prevention of local lipotoxicity: a new renoprotective mechanism of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α activation in hypertension and obesity?
Functional MRI and structural MRI as tools for understanding comorbid conditions in children with epilepsy

Children with epilepsy are at risk for behavioral and cognitive comorbidities. Potential etiologies can be assessed in part by neuroimaging. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a major role in presurgical evaluation and prediction of postoperative outcome by mapping of language and memory. Structural MRI and functional MRI have shown changes in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and disruptive behavior, common comorbidities in children with epilepsy. Neuroimaging has the potential for significantly increasing understanding of the basis of cognitive and behavioral problems in children with epilepsy.
Scatter-limited phototherapy: a model for laser treatment of skin.

Background and Objectives To effectively deliver laser light into the skin for non-ablative resurfacing, hair removal, and other applications, one must account for scatter, absorption, and thermal diffusion. A novel method to control the penetration of laser light into tissue is proposed. This method uses the incident beam diameter, the pulse duration, and the intrinsic light scattering of tissues such as skin to limit the laser light penetration and thermal damage. We term this innovative laser delivery concept ‘scatter-limited phototherapy’. Study Design/Materials and Methods This study demonstrates how the delivery mechanism simplifies the non-ablative treatment of sun-damaged skin. Calculations are based upon Gaussian scatter of light and isotropic thermal diffusion. Calculations of light distribution and profiles of temperature increase are created. Results Using an optical fiber delivery system with the appropriate diameter, coupled with skin surface protection, one can create thermal damage at a given depth with preservation of the epidermis. Conclusions Scatter-limited phototherapy is a predictive model, allowing one to design better laser delivery systems. Scatter-limited phototherapy should also be applicable to other fields of dermatologic surgery, such as hair removal and the treatment of vascular lesions. Additionally, other medical specialties will be able to use the concept of scatter-limited phototherapy to predict and better understand laser–tissue interactions. Lasers Surg. Med. 30:381–388, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Kibitz: connecting multiple interactive programs together

Expect is a programming language for automating interactive programs. Recently, people have begun using Expect to connect multiple interactive programs together, allowing for new classes of applications. With some basic building blocks and a little scripting, it is possible to build such applications quickly. This paper discusses the general technique, while focusing on a particular example: Kibitz. Kibitz connects multiple sessions and applications together, providing a means for consulting, group editing, or other cooperative tasks. Kibitz in turn, can be used as a module in building additional programs of this type. Using Kibitz, we demonstrate how to enable cron or background processes to call upon and interact with users, e.g., for guidance or debugging. Due to program reuse, our approach avoids many portability issues already addressed and solved by existing programs. Kibitz has no special coding for byte swapping, structure encoding, or job control, and requires neither kernel modifications nor setuid or other permissions even though it runs over a network and deals with multiple users, job control, and sophisticated programs such as shells and full-screen editors.
The Canadian Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

The influence of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board in restraining the prices of patented drugs has been established over the past 6 years. Recent legislative and policy changes now in place may result in the Board assuming a more influential, public, and activist posture. This article reviews the way in which the Board carries out its mandate to ensure that patented medicines sold in Canada are not ‘excessive’. The Board represents one segment of Canada’s ongoing effort to balance what often appear to be irreconcilable tasks - the promotion of an increased domestic research and development investment by the pharmaceutical industry, and the control of expenditures for pharmaceuticals in response to the escalating concerns of the provincial health authorities and consumers.
Genetics, Commodification, and Social Justice in the Globalization Era

The commercialization of biotechnology, especially research and development by transnational pharmaceutical companies, is already excessive and is increasingly dangerous to distributive justice, human rights, and access of marginal populations to basic human goods. Focusing on gene patenting, this article employs the work of Margaret Jane Radin and others to argue that gene patenting ought to be more highly regulated and that it ought to be regulated with international participation and in view of concerns about solidarity and the common good. The mode of argument called for on this issue is more pragmatic than logical, emphasizing persuasion based on evidence about the reality and effects of control of genetic research by profit-driven biotech companies. A COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND ETHICAL ASSESSMENT
Use of Cytokines During Prolonged Neutropenia Associated with Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation

Molecular cloning, expression, and formulation of recombinant myeloid colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) have afforded the potential to reduce therapy-associated toxicity in patients who receive intensive chemotherapy. The use of granulocyte CSF and granulocyte-macrophage CSF has resulted in acceleration of hematopoietic recovery in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation. This acceleration is associated with a reduction of treatment-related toxicity, although a period of absolute leukopenia prevails despite infusion of bone marrow and recombinant CSFs. Addition of CSF-primed peripheral blood progenitor cells to bone marrow in the supportive care of these patients has provided a further reduction in the duration of absolute leukopenia and an associated reduction in the incidence of infections and other complications associated with bone marrow transplantation. The ability of CSFs to mobilize hematopoietic progenitor cells offers the possibility of utilizing these cells for a variety of medical purposes, including modification of the therapeutic approach to malignant disease.
Saturation mutagenesis at dihydrofolate reductase codons 22 and 31. A variety of amino acid substitutions conferring methotrexate resistance.

Abstract Naturally occurring amino acid substitutions conferring resistance to methotrexate (MTX) have been reported previously at codon positions 22 (leu→arg, phe) and 31 (phe→ser, trp) of mammalian dihydrofolate reductases (DHFR). To explore the character of other substitutions, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-assisted saturation mutagenesis protocol was devised to introduce all possible codon sequences at positions 22 and 31 of the murine DHFR coding sequence in an expressible simian virus 40 (SV40)-regulated transcription unit. Nucleotide sequencing confirmed the presence of all four nucleotides at each of the three codon positions in the mutagenized material. Transfection of these “codon libraries” into DHFR-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells resulted in an increased frequency of MTX-resistant colony formation in comparison with wild-type DHFR transfected cells. DHFR variants contained in different clones were characterized by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing, identifying six different amino acid substitutions at position 22 and seven substitutions at position 31. DHFR variants were extracted for determination of MTX inhibition character and catalytic activity, normalizing for the amount of DHFR protein by western blot analysis. A wide range of MTX sensitivities and catalytic activities were observed which is consistent with the role of these side chains in DHFR catalytic function. We observed that codon 22 variants were generally more resistant to MTX, but codon 31 variants retained substantially more catalytic activity (about 2.5-fold) at a given level of MTX resistance. This heterogeneity in catalytic and inhibition character has important implications for the function of different DHFR variants as mediators of drug resistance.
Faculty versus administration: a universal problem

The results of the Carnegie International Survey of the Academic Profession reveals a marked disenchantment on the part of faculty with academic administrators. Faculty are generally content with various aspects of their careers except in this one area. There is a generalized lack of trust in administrators, and a feeling that the academic profession is losing its autonomy. This pattern of hostility is quite similar in the twelve countries included in the survey.
Assessment of the emissions from the use of California Air Resources Board qualified diesel fuels in comparison with Federal diesel fuels

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has regulated the properties of diesel fuel sold in California since 1988 to lower emissions of particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Although many studies have shown that reduced levels of aromatics and higher cetane numbers can improve emissions, the actual impact of CARB fuels on in-use diesel emissions has not yet been extensively studied, especially as diesel engine and aftertreatment technology has evolved over the years. This study evaluates the differences between California and Federal diesel fuels with heavy-duty engine and chassis dynamometer tests. The engine dynamometer results showed that NOx emissions for the Federal fuels ranged from 4.7% to 9.5% higher than the CARB diesel. These NOx reductions are similar to the estimates being used in the latest regulations. The chassis dynamometer test results did not show as consistent trends for NOx as those seen for the engine dynamometer testing. For the chassis dynamometer testing, four out...
Spectrophotometric determination of rhodium with thiomalic acid and the simultaneous determination of rhodium and palladium

Abstract A procedure has been developed for the ultraviolet spectrophotometric determination of rhodium with thiomalic acid. The maximum absorbance of the yellow rhodium complex is at 340 mμ, the optimum pH range is 1 to 6. The colour is formed at 100° and the complex is stable for several days. It obeys Beer's law and is sensitive to 0.055 ppm of rhodium. Tolerances to several ions have been established and rhodium has been determined in synthetic samples with good precision and accuracy. Rhodium and palladium in several concentration ratios have been determined simultaneously.
Fast jamming detection in sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are vulnerable to jamming attacks where an adversary injects strong noises to interfere with the normal transmission. It is crucial to detect such jamming attacks as fast as possible. Existing studies have shown that an effective indicator of jamming is the packet delivery ratio (PDR). However, current PDR-based schemes use the end-to-end packet delivery ratio, which requires one to observe communication for a long time before a good decision is made. In this paper, we propose collaborative detection, which evaluates the packet delivery ratio in an given area instead of a pair of nodes. The intuition is that the attacker often jams an area of his interest, not just two specific nodes. The benefit is that we can detect jamming attacks in a much faster way. We have evaluated the performance of our idea on TelosB motes. The results show that we can effectively and quickly detect jamming attacks.
Two types of secretory granules in gonadotrophs: Discrimination by the simultaneous EM immunocytochemical localization of serotonin and β‐follicle stimulating hormone

The hypothesis that the secretory granules of mammalian gonadotrophs are heterogeneous was tested. Previous studies had shown that all of the granules contain beta-luteinizing hormone (beta-LH) immunoreactivity, and some contain beta-follicle stimulating hormone (beta-FSH) or 5-HT immunoreactivity. Moreover, differential release of beta-LH and beta-FSH has also been demonstrated. In the current study the pituitary glands of mice were investigated immunocytochemically at the ultrastructural level with antisera directed against human growth hormone (GH), beta-LH, beta-FSH, and 5-HT. The immunoreactivities of beta-LH, beta-FSH, and 5-HT were restricted to gonadotrophs. No 5-HT immunoreactivity was seen in somatotrophs, identified by the immunoreactivity of GH in the secretory granules of these cells. Antisera to beta-LH labeled all gonadotroph granules; however, anti-beta-FSH and anti-5-HT sera labeled only subsets of the granules. The proportion of granules labeled could not be increased by doubling the concentration of anti-beta-FSH serum. The incidence of double labeling of granules by antisera to beta-FSH and 5-HT was significantly less than that predicted from the incidence of granule labeling by either reagent alone. It is concluded that beta-FSH and 5-HT immunoreactivities do not co-exist in the same secretory granules of gonadotrophs; therefore, these granules are heterogeneous and there must be at least two types of granules. It is possible that the two types of granules may be responsive to different second messengers, thereby explaining the differential release of LH and FSH.
Disinhibition of hippocampal pyramidal cells during the transition into theta rhythm.

The activity of hippocampal complex-spike cells (presumed pyramidal cells) and theta cells (presumed interneurons) was examined during transitions from non-theta electroencephalogram (EEG) states to theta EEG states in freely moving and sleeping rats. Theta cell firing rates were significantly depressed in a 1-s period centered on the EEG transition relative to the surrounding 1-s periods (normalized rates±SEM): 1.05±0.02 for the “non-theta” period, 0.59±0.03 for the “transition” period, and 1.36±0.04 for the “theta” period (n = 26 cells). Conversely, complex-spike cell firing was significantly increased during the transition period: 0.51±0.11 for the “non-theta” period, 2.24±0.19 for the “transition” period, and 0.24±0.04 for the “theta” period (n = 27 cells). This diametrically altered activity indicates that theta cells must be actively inhibited during the transition. The increased activity in complex-spike cells during the transition may be simply a release from inhibitory control by interneurons. The pattern of theta cell inhibition together with increased complex-spike cell activity appears to be a general property of transitions into the theta EEG state, irrespective of behavior. It is suggested that increased activity in septal afferents (GABAergic cell activity greater than cholinergic cell activity) initially inhibits hippocampal interneurons. The inhibition is not sustained because of an activity-dependent decrease in the potency of the septointerneuronal inhibition, leaving the rhythmic excitatory (cholinergic) septointerneuronal inputs, together with principal cell inputs, to increase interneuron firing rates.