cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Healthcare for the Ageing Populations of Countries of Middle East and North Africa

The aging of world population has become a major demographic trend in the twenty-first century. Improvements in health and longevity and decrease in human fertility have produced increased number and proportions of the older population in most parts of the world. Hence, population aging reflects a human success story of increased longevity. Similarly, with the continued improvement of the health care delivery system in the Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) region, the percentage of elderly population in this region has increased significantly and is expected to increase further. The people residing in the MENA region have several common cultural, religious, social, and economic characteristics. It is evident that chronic noncommunicable diseases are now the major cause of death among older people in both the countries of MENA region and rest of the world. Given this dynamics of population demography, the political, economic, and social leadership of the countries of MENA region would need to re-define and update the policies and programs that will reduce the burden of aging populations on the society and its economy. Such an improvement of the public health system should lead to enhancement in the availability of health and social services for older persons and promote their continuing participation in a socially and economically productive life. An exhaustive scientific research on aging in MENA countries, based upon detailed data will help this region of the world to better address the challenges and opportunities.
Epitaxial thin films of topological insulator Bi2Te3 with two-dimensional weak anti-localization effect grown by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract We have grown high quality epitaxial topological insulator Bi 2 Te 3 thin films on silicon (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Systematic structural characterization of the films using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy has demonstrated that a low laser pulse rate is the key to achieving epitaxial films. The films show n-type metallic behavior, consistent with Te deficiency as determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements. The A 1g longitudinal optical phonon mode of Bi 2 Te 3 was detected by time-resolved reflectivity measurements. A 2-dimensional (2-D) weak-antilocalization effect was also observed at low temperatures, which indicates the existence of topologically protected 2-D surface states in our thin films. This growth and characterization effort paves the way to fabricate multi-layer heterostructures of topological insulators along with ferromagnetic oxides and high temperature superconductors by the same growth technique in the search for physics arising from their interfacial couplings.
Full scale IQ as mediator of practice effects: The rich get richer

Abstract Differential effects of practice over four administrations of the WAIS-R were examined as a function of Full Scale IQ at initial testing (N = 36). Twelve education-matched normal adults represented each of three groups: Low-Average (80—90), Average (95—105), and High-Average (110—120) Full Scale IQ. Participants were tested at 2-week intervals. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that Average and High-Average groups made greater gains across retest intervals than did the Low-Average group (p < .002). Across groups, gains were greater at the first retest than at the second or third retest (p < .001). A Scale × Time interaction indicated disproportionate gain in Performance IQ versus Verbal IQ, particularly at the first retest (p < .001). Previous exposure to the WAIS-R dramatically alters performance: Traditional interpretations regarding expected gain and profile analysis are not valid at retest.
Cash Distributions of Inflationary Gains

When a firm maintains its debt/equity ratio, changes in expectations of inflation lead to windfall gains through the ‘Fisher Effect’. Contrary to other studies, it is demonstrated here that the gain can be distributed to equity owners without impairing the firm's capacity to retire its debt.
Myoferlin regulation by NFAT in muscle injury, regeneration and repair

Ferlin proteins mediate membrane-fusion events in response to Ca2+. Myoferlin, a member of the ferlin family, is required for normal muscle development, during which it mediates myoblast fusion. We isolated both damaged and intact myofibers from a mouse model of muscular dystrophy using laser-capture microdissection and found that the levels of myoferlin mRNA and protein were increased in damaged myofibers. To better define the components of the muscle-injury response, we identified a discreet 1543-bp fragment of the myoferlin promoter, containing multiple NFAT-binding sites, and found that this was sufficient to drive high-level myoferlin expression in cells and in vivo. This promoter recapitulated normal myoferlin expression in that it was downregulated in healthy myofibers and was upregulated in response to myofiber damage. Transgenic mice expressing GFP under the control of the myoferlin promoter were generated and GFP expression in this model was used to track muscle damage in vivo after muscle injury and in muscle disease. Myoferlin modulates the response to muscle injury through its activity in both myoblasts and mature myofibers.
Comparative Analysis of the Hyomandibula During Respiration in Anabantoid teleost Fishes: Macropodus opercularis in Relation to Ctenopoma acutirostre and Anabas testudineus

The hyomandibula is an important element of the head and has been influenced in its structural features by different functions. It is roughly T-shaped with vertical and horizontal ridges. In fish, such asMacropodus opercularis, the deep curve at the antero-dorsal end of this ridge may be correlated with the concentrated force applied by the adductor mandibulae muscles. InMacropodus opercularis, the hyomandibula is shorter and broader than that ofAnabas testudineus andCtenopoma acutirostre. In the latter two genera, almost the entire anterior surface of the vertical ridge is uniformly curved, which may be explained by the distributive force applied by the adductor muscles perpendicularly. InMacropodus, the hyomandibulo-interhyal articulation is not straight along the axis of the interhyal as inCtenopoma, but the interhyal makes an angle of 45‡ to the hyomandibula. This difference might be functional as well as due to the oblique orientation of the hyomandibula. InCtenopoma, the articulating facet of the symplectic is located slightly below the interhyal articulating facet. This might be caused by the location of the hyomandibulo-interhyal articulation. The hyomandibulo-interhyal articulation also helps in the depression of the lower jaw when the latter is depressed by the hyoid bar. Thus, a structural analysis of the hyomandibula and its relationships with functions depict the interrelation between form and function.
What has the surgeon to know about pathophysiology of reflux disease

Much has been learned about the pathophysiology of gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) since it was initially described by Asher Winkelstein in 1935. With the development and refinement of esophageal function tests in the past decades, the diagnostic modalities have become available for a deliberate and systematic evaluation of antireflux mechanisms. Some of the newer concepts of the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis are reviewed in this article.
EVALUATING THE RISK OF EPIDIDYMAL INJURY DURING HYDROCELECTOMY AND SPERMATOCELECTOMY

ABSTRACT Purpose: We evaluated the risk of epididymal injury in patients undergoing hydrocelectomy and spermatocelectomy, and determined risk factors that may increase the chance of epididymal injury. To our knowledge the incidences of epididymal injury during hydrocelectomy and spermatocelectomy have not previously been reported. Materials and Methods: The pathology reports of all patients undergoing hydrocelectomy and spermatocelectomy at a single institution from 1990 to 2003 were retrospectively reviewed to determine if a portion of the epididymis was present in the pathology specimen. Patients with epididymis present then underwent a chart review to determine possible risk factors for epididymal injury. Results: A total of 338 adults underwent unilateral or bilateral hydrocelectomy from 1990 to 2003. Another 111 patients underwent spermatocelectomy during this period. In 19 patients (5.62%) epididymal injuries were documented during hydrocelectomy and in 19 (17.12%) epididymal injuries were documented during spermatocelectomy. No specific risk factors could be identified. Conclusions: The risk of epididymal injury during hydrocelectomy and spermatocelectomy is significant. Patients must be informed of this risk since epididymal injury may lead to infertility. To our knowledge this is the first published report documenting the incidence and risk of epididymal injury during hydrocelectomy or spermatocelectomy.
Studies on the residual nitrogen in cadaveric cerebrospinal fluid

Zusammenfassend kann ausgesagt werden, das sich der unblutig entnommene, suboccipital gewonnene Leichenliquor auch dann noch zu Rest-N-Untersuchungen eignet, wenn das Leichenblut bereits ausgedehnte postmortale Zersetzungsveranderungen aufweist. Die Rest-N-Werte im suboccipital gewonnenen Liquor sind etwas hoher als die im lumbal gewonnenen. Die an beiden Liquorentnahmestellen erhaltenen Rest-N-Werte zeigen aber ein annahernd paralleles Verhalten zu den Rest-N-Werten des Blutes, ohne jedoch die Werte des Blutes zu erreichen. Die bereits bei fruheren Untersuchungen von uns festgestellten Beziehungen des Rest-N-Wertes zum morphologischen Nierenbefund einerseits und zur Diagnose einer Uramie andererseits als Todesursache werden auch durch die Liquorwerte bestatigt. Eine Rest-N-Steigerung im Leichenliquor konnten wir ohne Nierenabhangigkeit nur bei nicht sofort zum Tode fuhrenden Erweichungen oder Blutungen im Gehirn finden, wahrend Tumoren und alle anderen Prozesse des Gehirns (akut und chronisch entzundliche, degenerative, allergische Veranderungen) keine Rest-N-Steigerung aufweisen. Die Ausnahmefalle, bei denen im Liquor hohere Werte als im Blut gefunden wurden, werden diskutiert.
Bridging encounter forms and electronic medical record databases: Annotation, mapping, and integration

Forms are a major source of input for getting data into the underlying medical databases of electronic health/medical record (EHR/EMR) systems. Standardizing encounter forms and integrating data collected from different forms into a single database would greatly reduce heterogeneity. In this paper, we describe a framework, the fEHR-plus system, that annotates, maps, and integrates user-specified encounter forms into a single database. The development of the framework incorporates machine learning, standard medical terminology, and the principles of database design. We conduct an empirical study with 52 forms collected from 6 medical institutions for evaluating the performance of the fEHR-plus system. The overall results show that the system is promising towards improving interoperability among electronic health record systems.
Renal Artery Stenosis and Chronic Ischemic Nephropathy: Epidemiology and Diagnosis

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the most common primary disease of the renal arteries and results in renovascular hypertension and ischemic nephropathy. Ischemic nephropathy from atherosclerotic RAS is increasingly recognized as a cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in severe cases can lead to end-stage renal disease. The exact prevalence of atherosclerotic RAS is unknown because the disease is often asymptomatic and few are screened unless they have significant traditional cardiac risk factors or symptoms. A high prevalence of atherosclerotic RAS is seen in patients with advanced age, congestive heart failure, and extrarenal atherosclerosis. The primary reason for diagnosing ischemic nephropathy from renovascular disease is that the loss of kidney function is potentially reversible through treatment of the occlusion with surgical revascularization or percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty. However, the benefits of revascularization have to be considered in the context of other comorbid disease and remain controversial. There are several tests available for the screening and diagnosis of atherosclerotic RAS; however, the diagnostic test of choice should be based on patient factors and institutional expertise because the best test is the one performed most often at the individual medical facility.
A High Speed CAMAC Data Acquisition System Using a Bank-Switchable Bulk Memory

This paper describes a real-time data acquisition system using a bank-switchable bulk memory. The bulk memory is used to improve data acquisition efficiency and to overcome data rate limitations often imposed by secondary storage devices. Data rates of over 500,000 words per second have been measured. The data acquisition system is implemented for a PDP-11 as a set of cooperating tasks running under the RSX-11M operating system.
Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Activation Generates an Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase-like Output of Nitric Oxide in Inflamed Endothelium

High levels of NO generated in the vasculature under inflammatory conditions are usually attributed to inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS), but the role of the constitutively expressed endothelial NOS (eNOS) is unclear. In normal human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMVEC), bradykinin (BK) activates kinin B2 receptor (B2R) signaling that results in Ca(2+)-dependent activation of eNOS and transient NO. In inflamed HLMVEC (pretreated with interleukin-1β and interferon-γ), we found enhanced binding of eNOS to calcium-calmodulin at basal Ca(2+) levels, thereby increasing its basal activity that was dependent on extracellular l-Arg. Furthermore, B2R stimulation generated prolonged high output eNOS-derived NO that is independent of increased intracellular Ca(2+) and is mediated by a novel Gα(i)-, MEK1/2-, and JNK1/2-dependent pathway. This high output NO stimulated with BK was blocked with a B2R antagonist, eNOS siRNA, or eNOS inhibitor but not iNOS inhibitor. Moreover, B2R-mediated NO production and JNK phosphorylation were inhibited with MEK1/2 and JNK inhibitors or MEK1/2 and JNK1/2 siRNA but not with ERK1/2 inhibitor. BK induced Ca(2+)-dependent eNOS phosphorylation at Ser(1177), Thr(495), and Ser(114) in cytokine-treated HLMVEC, but these modifications were not dependent on JNK1/2 activation and were not responsible for prolonged NO output. Cytokine treatment did not alter the expression of B2R, Gα(q/11), Gα(i1,2), JNK, or eNOS. B2R activation in control endothelial cells enhanced migration, but in cytokine-treated HLMVEC it reduced migration. Both responses were NO-dependent. Understanding how JNK regulates prolonged eNOS-derived NO may provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of disorders involving vascular inflammation.
Arbres de Markov Triplet et fusion de Dempster-Shafer

Resume Les chaines de Markov cachees (CMC) (X,Y) ont ete recemment generalisees aux chaines de Markov Triplet (CMT), lesquelles gardent les memes pouvoirs de restauration du processus cache X a partir du processus observe Y. Par ailleurs, dans une CMC (X,Y) la loi a posteriori de X, qui est de Markov, peut etre vue comme une fusion de Dempster–Shafer (fusion DS) de sa loi a priori avec une probabilite q definie a partir des observations Y=y. Lorsque l'on se place dans le contexte de la theorie de l'evidence en remplacant la loi de X par une fonction de masse M admettant une ecriture markovienne similaire (une modelisation plus generale redonnant le modele classique pour une M particuliere), sa fusion DS avec q generalise la probabilite a posteriori. Bien que le resultat de cette fusion ne soit, en general, pas une chaine de Markov, il a ete etabli qu'il est une CMT, ce qui autorise les divers traitements d'interet. L'objet de cette Note est de presenter diverses generalisations de ce dernier resultat : (i) extension aux CMC plus generaux ; (ii) q, qui peut eventuellement etre une fonction de masse Q, est elle meme resultat de fusion DS ; enfin, (iii) tous les resultats sont etendus aux arbres de Markov caches (AMC), qui englobent les CMC. Pour citer cet article : W. Pieczynski, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).
Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: oncologic efficacy

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy has evolved tremendously over the past decade to the point where it should be considered the standard of care for localized renal tumors not amenable to nephron-sparing surgery. The benefits of decreased postoperative pain, shortened hospital stay, quicker convalescence, and improved cosmesis have been proved in numerous studies. Long-term oncologic results of LRN have demonstrated equivalent outcomes to ORN.
Chromatographic separation of metal ions on a macroreticular cation-exchange resin with hydrochloric acid N aqueous acetone solution

Abstract Forced-flow chromatography on a cation-exchange resin has been used to obtain rapid separations of metal ions, such as Cd(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Co(II) and Mn(II). The macroreticular resin used provides rapid separations in hydrochloric acid-acetone media covering acid and acetone concentration ranges of 0.1–1.88 M and 70–96%, respectively. On-stream addition of a colour-forming reagent provides continuous detection and quantitation of the eluted metals.
Studies on Soybean Nodule Senescence

Soybean Glycine max. L. Merr. nodule senescence was studied using the loss of acetylene reduction by intact tap root nodules as its indication. Tap root nodules from two varieties (Calland and Beeson) of field-grown soybeans were used. The specific activities of nitrogenase (micromoles/minute gram fresh weight of nodules) as measured by the acetylene reduction assay decreased abruptly between 58 to 65 and 68 to 75 days after planting the Beeson and Calland soybeans, respectively. Major changes were not detected in dry weight, total nitrogen, and leghemoglobin levels during the period when in vivo nitrogenase activity declined. Ammonium levels in the cytosol of nodules and poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate increased moderately just prior to or coincidental with the loss of nitrogenase activity. Neither enzymes that have been postulated to be involved in ammonium assimilation nor NADP(+)-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase exhibited any large changes in specific activities during the initial period when nitrogenase activity declined.
Relapse to alcohol and other drug use in treated adolescents: Review and reconsideration of relapse as a change point in clinical course

Relapse serves as an early warning sign of a failure to maintain desired behavioral change. Although rates of and time to relapse appear to be similar for treated adolescents and adults, this critical review of the literature on adolescent relapse begins with an overview of developmental differences between adolescent and adult substance users that need to be considered when studying relapse. A summary of rates of relapse in treated teens is followed by a review of results on the predictive validity of different relapse definitions. Next, characteristics of teens' initial relapse in terms of substances involved, situational context, and factors associated with relapse are described. Because relapse is ideally understood in the context of longer-term patterns of use, the review also discusses the extent to which early episodes of use mark clinically significant change points in post-treatment course, and how knowledge of longer-term clinical course is essential to understanding the relapse process and mechanisms underlying the maintenance of behavioral change.
Second Language Reading Research on Passage Content and Gender: Challenges for the Intermediate-Level Curriculum.

: Second language (L2)reading research has shown that content schemata significantly influence comprehension. Howevel, a careful examination of available studies reveals disparities among research methods and procedures, thus making it difficult to formulate theories for re-examining the intermediate-level course, where the reading of lengthy, authentic texts begins. To complicate matters further, females begin to outnumber males at the intermediate level, and this gap widens at the advanced levels (Chavez, 2001). This article — through a careful review of the relevant literature — shows that much of the L2 reading process at the intermediate level remains unexplained. Finally, a call for more research at the intermediate level that examines key variables, such as passage content and gender, is made.
A complication in prescan strategy when using surface coils

The "prescan" process for setting the gain of an MRI scanner can be confounded by an effect arising from the spatial variation of the angle between the vector reception field of a local or surface coil and the excitation field of a whole-body coil. It is most pronounced when the phase-encoding direction is parallel to the plane of the coil but not along the magnetic field. The largest signal is shown to reside in a data row that is shifted from the one that corresponds to zero phase-encoding gradient. The effect depends on the field-of-view and the dimensions of the receiving coil. Strategies are suggested by which manufacturers of scanners can cope with this intrinsic problem. In the meantime, users of surface coils should be aware of the difficulty.
Barcodes for genomes and applications

Background Each genome has a stable distribution of the combined frequency for each k-mer and its reverse complement measured in sequence fragments as short as 1000 bps across the whole genome, for 1<k<6. The collection of these k-mer frequency distributions is unique to each genome and termed the genome's barcode.
Time course of changes in protein synthesis in marcaine-induced skeletal muscle regeneration

The time course of the regeneration of rat skeletal muscle has been examined after injection of the myotoxic drug, Marcaine, to induce regeneration. Muscle wet weight decreases during the initial phase of the regeneration process while the ability of the regenerating muscle to incorporate [35S]methionine into protein, the yield and activity of muscle polysomes and the yield of total and poly(A) + RNA all increase initially. Following the initial changes, these parameters return to near control values by 30 days after Marcaine injection. Theoretical calculations suggest that the changes in polysome yield and activity are sufficient to account for the changes in the ability of muscle fragments to synthesize protein during the regeneration process. The specific activity of total muscle RNA in the wheat germ cell-free system decreases initially during the early stages of the regeneration process. This decrease may reflect the fact that while the yields of both total and poly(A) + RNA increase during the early stages of regeneration, the percentage of the total RNA which is poly(A) + decreases initially.
Energy-efficient soft-output trellis decoder design using trellis quasi-reduction and importance-aware clock skew scheduling

Energy-efficient implementation of high-speed soft-output trellis decoders is of great practical importance. This paper first presents an algorithm-level technique, referred to as quasi-reduced-state trellis decoding, that enables the use of reduced-state trellis decoding concept to reduce the energy consumption of decoding data storage without incurring any speed penalty. Then we propose to integrate this algorithm-level technique with an importance-aware clock skew scheduling approach that enables the use of aggressive voltage overscaling in decoding computation datapath at the cost of small decoding performance degradation. The integration of these two techniques can provide a wide and flexible design space to explore the decoding performance vs. decoding energy consumption trade-off for very high-speed soft-output trellis decoder implementations. The effectiveness has been demonstrated through 1Gbps soft- output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) decoder ASIC design at 65nm technology node.
Influence of Plant Parameters on Occurrence and Abundance of Arthropods in Residential Turfgrass

ABSTRACT The effect of taxa [common Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon (L.); centipedegrass, Eremochloa ophiuroides Munro Hack; St. Augustinegrass, Stenotaphrum secundatum [Walt.] Kuntze; and zoysiagrass, Zoysia spp.], density, height, and weed density on abundance of natural enemies, and their potential prey were evaluated in residential turf. Total predatory Heteroptera were most abundant in St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass and included Anthocoridae, Lasiochilidae, Geocoridae, and Miridae. Anthocoridae and Lasiochilidae were most common in St. Augustinegrass, and their abundance correlated positively with species of Blissidae and Delphacidae. Chinch bugs were present in all turf taxa, but were 23–47 times more abundant in St. Augustinegrass. Anthocorids/lasiochilids were more numerous on taller grasses, as were Blissidae, Delphacidae, Cicadellidae, and Cercopidae. Geocoridae and Miridae were most common in zoysiagrass and were collected in higher numbers with increasing weed density. However, no predator...
Immune checkpoint inhibitors: making immunotherapy a reality for the treatment of lung cancer.

Despitethelimitedsuccessofimmunotherapiesinsolidmalignancy,twohumancancers,melanomaandrenal cancer, have, for many years, responded to systemic administration of immune-targeted biologics and showed signals of response to certain therapeutic vaccines. These findings underpinned a long-held perception that melanomaandrenalcancerwereuniquely"immunogenic"butthatvirtuallyallotherhumancancerswerenotand thus would not respond to immune modulation. That notion has now been shattered by the significant and durable responses in non–small cell lung cancer induced by therapeutic treatment with antibodies blocking the PD-1 checkpoint. The immunotherapy success in lung cancer thus provides a gateway to development of treatments for multiple cancer types that were previously believed not accessible to immune-based therapies. Cancer Immunol Res; 1(2); 85–91. � 2013 AACR.
Help desk support: to be or not to be eligible

As a help desk becomes an integral player in a University's ability to expand technology to the community, its capability to keep up with the constantly changing and growing support needs becomes an increasingly difficult challenge. A help desk is often called to support systems and resources before the sponsoring group provides formal training to the users. Often a help desk receives calls about a new system before help desk consultants are introduced to the system or resource by the sponsoring group. Certainly, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) were designed to deal with this issue. But how can SLAs best assist a help desk in managing the never-ending need to provide cutting edge technical support.SLAs were designed to allow internal customers to state their service level needs. And, in turn, suppliers would be able to focus their resources into providing services at the required level. However, a help desk can be considered both a supplier and a customer. Therefore, the question becomes how can we design a SLA so it defines both the minimum requirements necessary before a help desk will support a service or resource as well as provides an agreed level of service to be delivered to the customer.This paper is designed to review SLAs and discuss questions including: What are the important elements to include in a SLA? What requirements are necessary for a system or resource to become eligible for support? What characteristics make up a production application? Should training, communication of outages, and 2nd tier support be included in a SLA?
Toward a normative definition of medical professionalism.

In recent years, professionalism in medicine has gained increasing attention. Many have called for a return to medical professionalism as a way to respond to the corporate transformation of the U.S. health care system. Yet there is no common understanding of what is meant by the word professionalism. To encourage dialog and to arrive eventually at some consensus, one needs a normative definition. The author proposes such a definition and asserts that the concept of medical professionalism must be grounded both in the nature of a profession and in the nature of physicians’ work. Attributes of medical professionalism reflect societal expectations as they relate to physicians’ responsibilities, not only to individual patients but to wider communities as well. The author identifies nine behaviors that constitute medical professionalism and that physicians must exhibit if they are to meet their obligations to their patients, their communities, and their profession. (For example, ‘‘Physicians subordinate their own interests to the interests of others.’’) He argues that physicians must fully comprehend what medical professionalism entails. Serious negative consequences will ensue if physicians cease to exemplify the behaviors that constitute medical professionalism and hence abrogate their responsibilities both to their patients and to their chosen calling. Acad. Med. 2000;75:612‐616.
gReader: A Universally Designed, Device-Independent Email Client

This paper describes the design, development and user study of a text-to-speech system for reviewing email messages. The system retrieves messages, converts them to audio files, and facilitates transferring the messages to a portable listening device. This study reviews the efficacy of such a system and compares the users' ability to comprehend spoken audio messages verses written messages. According to the study the system was successful, but the user interest in the design was only moderate.
Fabrication of an improved gray-scale mask for refractive micro- and meso-optics

An experiment was performed on a new gray-scale mask material. The mask material is carbon based and has high attenuation in the deep ultraviolet spectral range. The experiment involves making a gray-scale mask for an axicon. Preliminary results show that gray-scale profiles of accurate transmittance functions can be fabricated. Potentially, the capability at deep ultraviolet wavelengths will allow the fabrication of high-resolution components. The high-attenuation characteristic will allow the production of microscale and mesoscale optics of more phase levels.
Generation Scavenging: A non-disruptive high performance storage reclamation algorithm

Many interactive computing environments provide automatic storage reclamation and virtual memory to ease the burden of managing storage. Unfortunately, many storage reclamation algorithms impede interaction with distracting pauses. Generation Scavenging is a reclamation algorithm that has no noticeable pauses, eliminates page faults for transient objects, compacts objects without resorting to indirection, and reclaims circular structures, in one third the time of traditional approaches.We have incorporated Generation Scavenging in Berkeley Smalltalk(BS), our Smalltalk-80 implementation, and instrumented it to obtain performance data. We are also designing a microprocessor with hardware support for Generation Scavenging.
Does the arc-accretion model adequately explain the Paleoproterozoic evolution of southern Laurentia: An expanded interpretation: COMMENT AND REPLY REPLY

We were delighted to learn that [Karlstrom et al. (2007)][1] had written a Comment on our recent article in Geology ; one of our major purposes was to stir debate on the origin of the extensive Paleoproterozoic crust of the southwestern United States. This Reply is intended not so much as a point-by
Design Cost Savings and Ergonomics

Designing products includes many issues which have an impact on the life cycle of a product. Design costs include the cost of the design for the product's functional needs and the cost of the design for associated needs. Examples of associated needs are design for assembly, design for serviceability, design for compatibility, and design for manufacturability. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how applying appropriate ergonomic principles during design can reduce many life cycle costs. Relating potential cost savings attributed to ergonomics can be useful as a tool in decision support systems. An example is used to demonstrate the range of potential impacts of ergonomic driven design strategies. Reducing costs in one design focus area often impacts another design focus area negatively. By estimating the status (best to worst) of the current design performance measures and normalizing results, the impacts of changing design parameters are seen.
Biochemical aspects of neurotransmission in the developing brain.

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the studies of central catecholaminergic neurons because there can be assessment of the correlation between morphologic and neurochemical differentiation. The nigrostriatal circuit is focused because of the opportunity to compare and contrast neurochemical differentiation of three types of neurons involved in defined synaptic relationships. These neurochemical studies provide an added dimension to the complex and heterogenous nature of brain development. The presynaptic processes that regulate the availability of neurotransmitters at the synaptic cleft exhibit different rates of development within a particular neuronal group; the shift in balance among these processes may significantly affect the physiologic influence of the neuronal pathway. Furthermore, among neuronal pathways, there exist major differences in the time of their appearance and the rate of their differentiation. This ontogenetic heterogeneity may explain, in part, the anomalous responses of immature animals to neuropharmacologic agents as well as the developmental changes in the symptoms of pediatric neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Finally, the precocious development of the processes that mediate neurotransmission for certain neuronal groups, such as the catecholaminergic neurons, suggests that these neurons may play an important role in modulating brain differentiation.
Historical Base, Evolution and Future Directions of Civic Engagement and Service Learning at Cornell University

Cornell University occupies a unique niche in the landscape of American higher education. Founded as the land grant university for the State of New York, it has from its beginning also been a private university. Its founder, Ezra Cornell, was a New York State assemblyman at the time of the passage of the Morrill Land Grant Act. Not formally educated, he had secured, lost and earned again a fortune as an entrepreneur. By the mid 1860’s, he had amassed considerable wealth from exploitation of a device he invented for the purpose of stringing the telegraph wires for Samuel Morse.
Comparative brain oxygenation and mitochondrial redox activity in turtles and rats

Comparisons were made between brain oxygenation and cytochrome c oxidase (cytochrome aa3) redox status in turtles (Pseudymys scripta) and rats. Although average brain O2 tension (PtO2) during normoxia was similar in turtle telencephalon and rat parietal cortex, a greater frequency of high and low values of PtO2 occurred in rats, which may indicate a steeper O2 gradient between capillaries and cells. When the fractional inspired O2 concentration (FIO2) was increased, PtO2 was elevated and cytochrome aa3 became more oxidized, whereas decreased FIo2 produced opposite changes in both species. In turtle brain, however, the relationship between PtO2 and cytochrome aa3 redox state was nearly linear over a wide range of PtO2 values. In rats, this relationship was steeper at PtO2 below normoxia and approached a plateau at Pto2 values above normoxia. Turtle brain cytochrome aa3 appeared more reduced in normoxia, which may be due either to lower affinity for O2 or to enhanced substrate supply. These results indicate that differences in resistance to hypoxia/anoxia observed between rats and turtles are probably not due to differences in O2 availability. Rather, it is likely that differences in redox activities of cytochrome aa3 and/or in substrate use play a role in the relative insensitivity of turtle brain to O2 deprivation.
Jouler: A Policy Framework Enabling Effective and Flexible Smartphone Energy Management

Smartphone energy management is a complex challenge. Considerable energy-related variation exists between devices, apps, and users; and while over-allocating energy can strand the user with an empty battery, over-conserving energy can unnecessarily degrade performance. But despite this complexity, current smartphone platforms include “one-size-fits-all” energy management policies that cannot satisfy the diverse needs of all users. To address this problem we present Jouler, a framework enabling effective and flexible smartphone energy management by cleanly separating energy control mechanisms from management policies. Jouler provides both imperative mechanisms that can control all apps, and cooperative mechanisms that allow modified apps to adapt to the user’s energy management goals. We have implemented Jouler for Android and used it to provide three new energy management policies to 203 smartphone users. Results from our deployment indicate that users appreciate more flexible smartphone energy management and that Jouler policies can help users achieve their energy management goals.
Recombinant DNA and autoimmune disease.

In trying to assess the hazards associated with the generation of enteric bacteria carrying a wide variety of foreign DNA sequences, a group of us have been concerned with the spread of foreign genes into natural populations of Escherichia coli (i.e., the potential transfer of plasmids into strains of E. coli already established in the environment). In the course of laboratory or industrial practice, laboratory strains could reach an environment where they encounter indigenous E. coli strains and transfer their plasmids to the wild strains. Even with nonconjugal plasmids, mobilization by other plasmids may occur and lead to maintenance of the nonconjugal plasmid in the wild strain [1, 2]. This transfer could take place in the gut of a technician or graduate student-a few days is quite long enough for the transfer to occur [3, 4]-or in whatever reservoir the E. coli reach after exit from the body in the feces. A sewer or the intestines of pigeons, rats, or chickens would serve equally well [5]. (There has been no discussion at this meeting of the ecology of E. coli outside of the human body.) These strains then move back into the human ecosystem -from chickens to humans, for example, as described by Levy et al. [6], by any of the myriad routes through which coliforms reach our gastrointestinal tract. Though it is certainly true that, in general, strains carrying unrelated genetic sequences will be less fit than others, present experiments involve linkage of the foreign DNA to sequences which confer antibiotic resistance on the host organism. This counterselection will often be so potent that genetic linkages will preserve foreign sequences for long periods [1, 2]. Given the increasing frequency of nosocomial infections due to E. coli [7], there is reason to be concerned about human infection by indigenous
An Overview of Physician Attitudes toward Death and Dying: History, Factors, and Implications for Medical Education

In recent years, much attention has been directed toward death-related topics, including the role of the physician in caring for terminally ill patients and communicating with patients and families about death and dying. During the past decade, researchers and critics have often described death in America as being problematic because of tension between heroic and humanistic medical care. This article presents an overview of the attitudes of physicians and medical students regarding end-of-life issues. Included are a discussion of the history of death in Western medicine, information about specific attitudes medical professionals hold regarding terminally ill patients and their families, and research findings about specific factors such as gender, specialty, and years of training and practice that contribute to these attitudes. A need for improved medical education about death and dying is emphasized, with recommendations about how to increase the knowledge of medical professionals and offer patients death...
Dual wavelength digital holographic imaging of cells with phase background subtraction

We describe a simple dual wavelength phase imaging method, which allows three dimensional measurements of a wide variety of biological systems and microstructures. Additionally, an effective method of removing phase background curvature is presented.
Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of α-Ketoheterocycles That Additionally Target the Cytosolic Port Cys269 of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase

A series of α-ketooxazoles incorporating electrophiles at the C5 position of the pyridyl ring of 2 (OL-135) and related compounds were prepared and examined as inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) that additionally target the cytosolic port Cys269. From this series, a subset of the candidate inhibitors exhibited time-dependent FAAH inhibition and noncompetitive irreversible inactivation of the enzyme, consistent with the targeted Cys269 covalent alkylation or addition, and maintained or enhanced the intrinsic selectivity for FAAH versus other serine hydrolases. A preliminary in vivo assessment demonstrates that these inhibitors raise endogenous brain levels of anandamide and other FAAH substrates upon intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration to mice, with peak levels achieved within 1.5–3 h, and that the elevations of the signaling lipids were maintained >6 h, indicating that the inhibitors effectively reach and remain active in the brain, inhibiting FAAH for a sustained period.
18 “IT'S ALL IN HIS HEAD”: OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER LEADS TO CEREBRAL VENOUS THROMBOSIS.

Objective To illustrate that serious medical complications, such as cerebral venous thrombosis, can result from the combination of psychiatric and medical disorders. Case A 15-year-old boy presented initially to the ER with a 4-day history of headache, vomiting, and photophobia. Head CT was normal, and the patient was discharged home after PRBC transfusion for hemoglobin of 5. Two days later he presented to the ER with progressive headaches and new-onset tonic-clonic seizures. PMH: Obsessive-compulsive disorder, which included severe obsessions with food textures and appearances with very high milk consumption. He also had idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease with chronic iron deficiency anemia. PE: Malnourished, uncooperative male in moderate distress with a nonfocal neurologic examination. Labs: HGB: 11, MCV: 65, platelets: 737,000, prealbumin 13 (16-40). MRA showed complete superior sagittal sinus thrombosis extending to both transverse and straight sinuses. Hypercoagulable workup was negative, stool hemoccult was positive, and colon biopsies showed inactive chronic colitis. In spite of treatment with heparin and warfarin the patient had progressive blurry vision, bilateral sixth nerve palsy, papilledema, and loss of visual acuity requiring optic nerve sheath fenestration and VP shunt placement. Discussion This patient9s prolonged history of obsessive compulsive disorder and inflammatory bowel disease caused significant malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, reactive thrombocytosis, and, ultimately, cerebral venous thrombosis. This rare disorder is most frequently reported in the presence of acute dehydration, cyanotic heart disease, malignancy, nephrotic syndrome, or coagulopathies. In the pediatric population, severe iron deficiency anemia is another uncommon cause of cerebral venous thrombosis, although the exact mechanism remains unclear. Treatment of the thrombosis includes aggressive anticoagulation with heparin followed by warfarin. There is no available evidence regarding the efficacy or safety of thrombolytic therapy in these cases. Pediatricians should be alert to the fact that psychiatric disorders with abnormal dietary patterns, especially when combined with underlying medical problems, can lead to serious permanent complications, as in this case.
Compare the Efficacy of Two Antiparasitic Drugs against Clonorchiasis

Objective To compare the curative effect and side effect of two drugs(albendazole and praziquantel) on the treatment of clonorchiasis.Method Clonorchiasis patients were treated with either albendazole or praziquantel.After one month stools from the patients were examined by improved kato-katz methods.Result The effective rates of albendazole for treating mild infection and moderate infection were 92.56% and 83.33%,respectively,while the effective rates of praziquantel were 98.59% and 100%,respectively.There was no difference on the curative effect of the two drugs.Praziquantel has more side effects than albendazole.Conclusion Albendazole is the first choice for the treatment of clonorchiasis.
Recombinant spore delivered M. tuberculosis antigens elicit immune response in mice

BCG, the vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), is one of the mandatory vaccines administered to infants in several parts of the world. However, BCG conferred immunity wanes when children reach adulthood. To develop booster vaccines, we engineered recombinant Bacillus subtilis spores to deliver Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens. MTAG1 recombinant strain was designed to express a fusion protein of CotC-Ag85B-CFP10 on the spore coat, while MTAG2 and MTAG3 strains were designed to express Ag85B-CFP10 fusion protein in vegetative cells. The difference between MTAG2 and MTAG3 strains is that the latter expresses secreted listeriolysin (LLO) in addition to Ag85B-CFP10. Immunoblot analysis revealed that MTAG1 strain showed positive signals for Ag85B and CFP10 in the spore-coat and other strains in the vegetative cell extracts, indicating that antigens are expressed in these strains as expected. Splenocytes of mice immunized with recombinant spores, through intranasal route, displayed significantly higher antigen specific proliferation of IFN-γ producing cells compared to the splenocytes of control mice. Also, the culture fluids of splenocytes from recombinant spores immunized mice exhibited higher antigen specific release of Th1 cytokines than the culture fluids of splenocytes from control mice. These results indicate that antigens delivered via recombinant spores can be processed and presented to the immune cells. Additional in vivo studies may reveal whether these recombinant spores can be used to boost immunity in BCG vaccinated individuals.
The effects of carbon dioxide on pulmonary mechanics in hyperventilating, normal volunteers.

Transpulmonary pressure, air flow, and end-tidal carbon dioxide levels were measured in normal human volunteers during hypocapnic, eucapnic, and hypercapnic hyperventilation. Respiratory rate and tidal volumes were well matched at a minute ventilation of 52 L. on three inspired gas mixtures: 21 per cent oxygen and 79 per cent nitrogen; 5 per cent carbon dioxide, 21 per cent oxygen and 74 per cent nitrogen; and 12 per cent carbon dioxide, 21 per cent oxygen and 67 per cent nitrogen. Respiratory rate, tidal volume, lung compliance, resistance, and resistive work per liter were calculated with a digital computer. In 13 experiments in 7 normal volunteers, no net bronchoconstriction or bronchodilatation was observed when eucapnic hyperventilation was compared to hypocapnic or hypercapnic hyperventilation. During hyperventilation of this degree, a change in bronchomotor tone owing to alteration in arterial or alveolar Pco2 either does not occur or else is masked by other reflexes or mechanical factors acting on the bronchi.
The First Career of Robert Karplus—Theoretical Physics

Robert Karplus was a brilliant physicist. He showed his tremendous intellectual ability at an early age. He and his younger brother, Martin, were both to have extremely successful scientific careers.