cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychiatric Aspects of Life-Threatening Illness: A Course for Medical Students:

Instructing medical students about the psychiatric aspects of life-threatening illness has been a neglected area in medical education. Only one course to date has been described in spite of the clear need for communications among educators on this subject. To help reduce this deficiency a course for medical students which includes seminar discussions and patient interviews is reported. Student response to the course has been excellent and supports the view that instruction in this area should be a required component of medical student education.
Polytope codes for distributed storage in the presence of an active omniscient adversary

Distributed storage systems are studied in the presence of an active omniscient adversary. The adversary is able to control several storage nodes in the system and alter their behavior. A Polytope code is proposed to handle such an adversary, and it is used to prove a lower bound on the overall storage capacity. Polytope codes have been shown to outperform linear codes over a finite field in defeating active adversaries. In a Polytope code, linear operations are performed over the integers rather than a finite field. This allows examinations of cross-covariances as a sort of parity check, which can improve error detection and correction without sacrificing asymptotic rate.
Single- and multi-layer surface-micromachined platforms using electroplated sacrificial layers

Abstract The use of electroplated sacrificial layers in the fabrication of surface-micromachined structures is discussed. Electroplated sacrificial layers offer two benefits: first, structures suspended several tens of microns above a substrate can be fabricated due to the ability to deposit relatively thick electroplated layers; secondly, the selective deposition of electroplated material only on conductors allows multi-layer three-dimensional structures to be fabricated in a self-aligned process. Single-layer surface-micromachined bridges and platforms suspended 10 to 50 μm above the surface have been fabricated in this manner. In addition, dual-layer platforms with some portions suspended 2 to 3 μm above the surface and other portions 10 to 50 μm above the surface have also been fabricated. Both structures are demonstrated using copper as the sacrificial layer and polyimide as the structural material, although other material combinations can also be used. Electrostatic actuation of both types of platforms has been achieved.
An economic analysis of instructional language

This paper constructs a simple two-tier education framework to analyze the effectiveness of multiple language instruction. Suppose that the government attempts to maximize the average post-education productivity. It is shown that the optimal education policy requires different languages of instruction be adopted in the education system. The impacts of the total budget and the program effectiveness on the optimal budget allocation are characterized.
Juli Zeh's Corpus Delicti (2009): Health Care, Terrorists, and the Return of the Political Message

The novel Corpus Delicti: A Trial takes place in 2057. Mia Holl, a thirty-year-old woman, must stand trial before a jury. She is charged with excessive love (to her brother), excessive intellect (she thinks scientifically), and excessive independence of mind. In a society in which the care of the body and prevention of disease has supplanted all intellectual values, to possess these inner resources is sufficient to be classified as a dangerous subject, a terrorist. Mia Holl seeks to prove that her brother, convicted for an alleged rape, is innocent. Her love for her brother, who took his own life, is part of what drives her to assume a position against the system, known as “The Method.” This article examines the issue at the heart of the novel, the freedom of the individual against the state, and Zeh’s emphasis on political opinion, consulting also related publications and statements by the author on the role of fiction, on health and health care, on civil liberties, as well as her status as a public intellectual. Corpus Delicti has a clear political message.
Sintering behaviour of (Y2O3-ZrO2 gels)

The sintering behaviour of yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) gels prepared by a sol-gel process has been studied. The YSZ gels in the forms of bulk and film were sintered at various temperatures up to 1300 °C and the crystalline structures and microstructures were examined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
A facile route to a versatile synthon for preparation of cis-pyrethroids

Abstract cis -2-Cyano-3,3-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid was obtained in >50% overall yield starting with ethyl 3,3-dimethylacrylate. The key step involved a tandem Michael reaction - intramolecular displacement to afford stereoselectively a cyclopropanoid precursor of cis -pyrethroids.
K + -nucleus scattering and medium modifications

Abstract Recent experiments for K+ meson scattering from complex nuclei are reviewed for their relevance to questions of modifications of nucleons or of their interactions within complex nuclei.
Quantitative thermal analysis of macromolecular glasses and crystals

Abstract Quantitative thermal analysis means scanning calorimetry. Today a precision of ± 1% or better can be achieved over the enormous temperature range from 100 K to 1000 K. Since scanning calorimetry is fast, it is also possible to study metastable systems as are encountered in macromolecules. Most macromolecular systems are only partially or not at all crystallized, i.e., they are partially or fully glassy. By establishing the fully crystalline and fully glassy limiting thermal properties, a detailed discussion of the common intermediate states is possible. A series of 10 polyoxides and polyolefins will be discussed for which all thermal properties are known from 0 K to beginning decomposition in the melt. Special attention will be paid to the glass transition of semicrystalline polymers which indicate a wide variety of structure sensitive effects.
Battery Level Estimation of Mobile Agents under Communication Constraints

Consider a team of mobile agents monitoring large areas, e.g. in the ocean or the atmosphere, with limited sensing resources. Only the leader transmits information to other agents, and the leader has a role to monitor battery levels of all other agents. Every now and then, the leader commands all other agents to move toward or away from the leader with speeds proportional to their battery levels. The leader then simultaneously estimates the battery levels of all other agents from measurements of the relative distances between the leader and other agents. We propose a nonlinear system model that integrates a particle motion model and a dynamic battery model that has demonstrated high accuracy in battery capacity prediction. The extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied to this nonlinear model to estimate the battery level of each agent. We improve the EKF so that, in addition to gain optimization embedded in the EKF, the motions of agents are controlled to minimize estimation error. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method.
The governance bank

While the cancellation of a number of high-profile loans because of corruption concerns has made headline news, the World Bank's principal approach to poorly governed countries is lending in order to support reforms. Although designed to be an apolitical technocratic development financier, increasingly the Bank has focused its attention and resources on promoting good governance in its borrowers. Bank lawyers and presidents have attempted to hive of apolitical aspects of governance by arguing a distinction between the rule of law and the political character of government, but this distinction is illusory. The Bank's inability to address the political embeddedness of poor governance in neo-patrimonial governments skews risk assessments and impedes the formation of effective strategies. Reform of the charter would not eliminate the Bank's bureaucratic and political constraints.
Examining user resistance and management strategies in enterprise system implementations

This paper is an initial investigation of the management strategies best suited to address user resistance. Despite its relationship to adoption, little is known about user resistance. User resistance is investigated in the enterprise systems (ES) environment because the complexity and richness of ES leads users to manifest the full range of resistant behaviors and beliefs. The Q-methodology revealed eight naturally-existing types of ES resistance and the management strategies preferred by each respective group. The results have implications for both research in the field of user resistance and adoption, and practitioners involved in system implementation.
Lung Transplantation for Patients With High Lung Allocation Score: Single-Center Experience

Background The lung allocation score (LAS) assigns organ allocation priority based on medical urgency and the likelihood of posttransplant survival. This study is a review of a single institutional experience for lung transplantation in the era of LAS. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 527 consecutive patients, from May 2005 to February 2010, who underwent lung transplant at our institution, comprising a high LAS group (LAS ≥ 50, n=108) and a low LAS group (LAS Results Survivals after 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, and 3 years were 92.6%, 87.8%, 71.5%, and 52.0%, respectively, in the high LAS group, and 96.9%, 93.5%, 83.2%, and 73.9% in the low LAS group ( p p = 0.032). Conclusions Lung transplant in patients with high a LAS is associated with significantly decreased survival and increased complications compared with patients with a low LAS. Ischemic time greater than 8 hours is a significant predictor of death in patients with a high LAS.
Pentavalent methylated arsenicals are substrates of human AQP9.

Liver aquaglyceroporin AQP9 facilitates movement of trivalent inorganic arsenite (AsIII) and organic monomethylarsonous acid (MAsIII). However, the transport pathway for the two major pentavalent arsenic cellular metabolites, MAsV and DMAsV, remains unknown in mammals. These products of arsenic metabolism, in particular DMAsV, are the major arsenicals excreted in the urine of mammals. In this study, we examined the uptake of the two pentavalent organic arsenicals by human AQP9 in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Xenopus laevis oocytes microinjected with AQP9 cRNA exhibited uptake of both MAsV and DMAsV in a pH-dependent manner. The rate of transport was much higher at acidic pH (pH5.5) than at neutral pH. Hg(II), an aquaporin inhibitor, inhibited transport of AsIII, MAsIII, MAsV and DMAsV via AQP9. However, phloretin, which inhibits water and glycerol permeation via AQP9, can only inhibit transport of pentavalent MAsV and DMAsV but not trivalent AsIII and MAsIII, indicating the translocation mechanisms of these arsenic species are not exactly the same. Reagents such as FCCP, valinomycin and nigericin that dissipate transmembrane proton potential or change the transmemebrane pH gradient did not significantly inhibit all arsenic transport via AQP9, suggesting the transport of pentavalent arsenic is not proton coupled. The results suggest that in addition to the initial uptake of trivalent inorganic AsIII inside cells, AQP9 plays a dual role in the detoxification of arsenic metabolites by facilitating efflux from cells.
New Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Renovascular Hypertension

In recent years, the pathophysiology of renovascular hypertension has been reviewed, and the classic concept that activation of the renin-angiotensin system is solely responsible for the development and maintenance of renovascular hypertension has been challenged. In fact, experimental evidence indicates that other systems, such as the Iipoxygenase pathway, may have a more critical role in the long-term maintenance of high blood pressure after renal artery stenosis. Herein we discuss the intrarenal mechanisms that control pressure-induced natriuresis under physiologic conditions and the role of the kidney in the pathophysiology of renovascular hypertension.
MEMORY EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION OF AES S-BOXES ON FPGA

Optimized implementation of computationally intensive cryptographic transformation is an area of active research, mainly focused on Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Byte substitution implemented using substitution boxes (S-boxes), is the main transformation in AES which strains the enabling embedded platform, e.g., Field Programmable Gate Arrays. We represent a novel clocking technique enabling optimized implementation of Byte Substitution that enhances processing speed and reduces the area required for S-boxes on Xilinx FPGA Block RAM (BRAM).
Prospective screening of novel antibacterial inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase for mutational resistance.

Resistance to trimethoprim (TMP) resulting from point mutations in the enzyme drug target dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) drives the development of new antifolate inhibitors effective against methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus (MRSA). For the past several years we have used structure-based design to create propargyl-linked antifolates that are highly potent antibacterial agents. In order to focus priority on the development of lead compounds with low propensity to induce resistance, we prospectively evaluated resistance profiles for two of these inhibitors in a MRSA strain. By selecting with the lead inhibitors, we generated resistant strains that contain single point mutations F98Y and H30N associated with TMP resistance and one novel mutation, F98I, in DHFR. Encouragingly, the pyridyl propargyl-linked inhibitor selects mutants at low frequency (6.85 × 10 −10 – 1.65 × 10 −9 ) and maintains low MIC (2.5 μg/mL) and mutant prevention concentrations (1.25 μg/mL), strongly supporting its position as a lead compound. Results from this prospective screening method informs the continued design of antifolates effective against mutations at the Phe 98 position. Furthermore, the method can be used broadly to incorporate ideas for overcoming resistance early in the development process.
Immunochemical studies on bacteriophage DNA—VI: Renaturation of T4 DNA

Abstract With the use of antibodies directed toward the single strand conformation of T4 DNA, a method, based, on the loss of serologic activity of single strand DNA during renaturation to double strand DNA, was developed. Renaturation was optimum at 55° and was dependent on salt and DNA concentration. Renaturation was unaffected in ranges of pH from 5·0 to 8·0. The structure of completely renatured DNA was not identical to native T4 DNA. Formation of hybrid T2–T4 and T6–T4 double strand DNA was detected and the rate of its formation measured immunologically.
Architecture-independent parallelism for both shared- and distributed-memory machines using the Filaments package

Abstract This paper presents the Filaments package, which can be used to create architecture-independent parallel programs – that is, programs that are portable and efficient across vastly different parallel machines. Filaments virtualizes the underlying machine in terms of the number of processors and the interconnection, allowing fine-grain, shared-memory programs to be written or generated. Furthermore, Filaments uses a carefully designed API along with machine-specific runtime libraries and preprocessing that allow programs to run unchanged on both shared- and distributed-memory machines. Performance is not sacrificed, as almost all kernels and applications we tested achieve a speedup of over 4 on 8 processors of both an SGI Challenge and a cluster of Pentium Pros.
Case Report: Fresh-Stored Osteochondral Allograft for Treatment of Osteochondritis Dissecans the Femoral Head

Osteochondral defects of the femoral head are exceedingly rare, with limited treatment options. Restoration procedures for similar defects involving the knee and ankle have been well described. In this report, we present a young patient who had a symptomatic osteochondral defect of the femoral head develop secondary to trauma and underwent subsequent treatment using a fresh-stored osteochondral allograft via a trochanteric osteotomy. At the 1-year followup, the patient was symptom free with near-complete incorporation of the graft radiographically. Our observations in this case suggest osteoarticular implantation may be an appropriate alternative to consider when treating osteochondral defects of the femoral head.
Ultra-low leak rate of hybrid compressive mica seals for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract A novel hybrid compressive mica seal was developed that showed a reduction of leak rate by about 4300 times (compared to simple mica seals) at 800 °C. The hybrid compressive mica seal is composed of 2 compliant glass layers and a mica layer. Three commercially available micas were tested in hybrid compressive seals for solid oxide fuel cell applications. The best results were obtained using Muscovite single crystal mica. The normalized leak rate for this seal at 800 °C was only 1.55×10 −4 sccm/cm at a stress of 100 psi and a pressure gradient of 2 psi. Seals based on the other commercial micas (Muscovite and Phlogopite mica papers), also exhibited superior leak rates (∼0.011 sccm/cm) compared to simple mica seals without the compliant glass layer (about 6–9 sccm/cm). The microstructure of the mica was examined before and after the 800 °C leak tests using scanning electron microscopy. The cause for the substantial reduction of the leak rate was discussed. In addition, the effect of the compressive stresses was also investigated.
A new class of supersaturated designs

Supersaturated designs are useful in situations in which the number of active factors is very small compared to the total number of factors being considered. In this article, a new class of supersaturated designs is constructed using half fractions of Hadamard matrices. When a Hadamard matrix of order N is used, such a design can investigate up to N – 2 factors in N/2 runs. Results are given for N ≤ 60. Extension to larger N is straightforward. These designs are superior to other existing supersaturated designs and are easy to construct. An example with real data is used to illustrate the ideas.
Indirect and difuse interactions: Complicated cycles in a population embedded in a large community

Indirect and diffuse population interactions are analyzed with respect to the general dynamics of biological communities. It is shown that positive and negative effects tend to cancel one another out as a community becomes very large, irrespective of the structure of the community. Positive and negative effects are considered as independent state variables coupled to population density of a particular species in the community, resulting in a three-dimensional system for each species in the community. It is shown how such a formulation can lead to limit cycles, complex limit cycles, and chaotic behavior on a strange attractor. The implications of these results regarding general rules of community structure are discussed qualitatively.
Image speckle contrast reduction resulting from integrative synthetic aperture imaging

Reduction of image speckle noise with the use of an integrative synthetic aperture imaging technique is studied. It is found that the Fourier inversion of the mutual intensity estimate [Appl. Opt. 30, 206-213 (1991)] yields an image intensity that corresponds exactly to the illumination of the object with partially coherent light from source optics imaging a delta-function incoherent source. An expression for the signal-to-noise ratio at an image point is derived for a large rough object with delta-function correlated amplitude reflection. A synthetic aperture system receiver of sufficiently small diameter yields image speckle with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) equal to 1. When the receiver and the transmitter diameters are equal, the SNR is 2 for linearly polarized speckle. The SNR continues to increase with receiver size and is linear in the diameter for large receiver-to-transmitter diameter ratios.
Neuroscience and Adult Learning.

This chapter is an introduction to how the learning process changes the brain, with special attention to the facilitative role of the adult educator/mentor.
Ia-positive macrophages bind and internalize viable lymphocytes in murine thymus.

Abstract Macrophages have been shown to be present in thymus throughout its development. In the present study monoclonal and polyclonal antimacrophage reagents were used to identify, quantitate, and determine the distribution of thymic macrophages. Those studies demonstrated that significant numbers of macrophages were evenly distributed throughout the cortex and medulla, and that macrophages account for most, if not all, Ia positivity in murine thymus. Suspensions of thymic cells prepared by enzyme digestion contained 2–4% macrophage antigen-positive cells, over 95% of which were I-A k positive in double-labeling studies. Removal of lymphocytes and macrophages left only epithelial cells and those failed to label for Ia. Subsequent to mild enzymatic digestion, up to 80% of the thymic macrophages were in the form of lymphocyte/macrophage rosettes. Morphologic evaluation of the thymocyte rosettes revealed that some of the macrophages contained internalized lymphocytes. The proportion of macrophages with internalized lymphocytes generally was less than 10%, but during the first 4 weeks of life values often approached 30%. Nurse cells, which were shown through double labeling to express both Ia and macrophage-associated antigen, were included in the population of rosetted cells which had internalized lymphocytes. The results demonstrated that there is a high level of interaction between lymphocytes and Ia-positive macrophages in the thymus which is greatest during the immediate postnatal period.
Nutrient Intake and Digestibility of Cotton Gin Trash Treated with Hypochlorite Oxidant or Extruded

Abstract Bernard, J.K., Woldeghebriel, A. and Mueller, T.C. 2001. Nutrient intake and digestibility of cotton gin trash treated with hypochlorite oxidant or extruded. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 19: 165–176. To determine the effect of hypochlorite oxidant and extrusion on nutrient intake and digestibility of gin trash (GT) and compare GT with pelleted cottonseed hull (PCSH), two trials were conducted. Treatments included PCSH, untreated (CONT), predigested with a hypochlorite oxidant (PD), extruded (EXT) and predigested and extruded (PE however, ADF digestibility was lowest for PCSH compared to CONT, PD and P&E. Ruminal NH3-N concentration was highest for P&E compared to PCSH, CONT and PD. Extrusion...
AlloDerm with Split-Thickness Skin Graft for Coverage of the Forearm Free Flap Donor Site:

ObjectiveMajor causes of donor site morbidity after free flap harvest are lack of split-thickness skin graft (STSG) take and tendon exposure. Long-term cosmesis remains poor. AlloDerm has shown cosmetically better donor site healing, albeit prolonged healing. We sought to evaluate the use of STSG with AlloDerm compared with STSG alone.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAcademic tertiary care medical center.Methods and SubjectsInstitutional review board–approved study. Microvascular database queried from 2002 to 2012. Subjects with forearm free flaps and either AlloDerm + STSG or STSG alone for donor site reconstruction were included. Morbidity outcomes were compared.ResultsEighty patients (50 male, 30 female) received AlloDerm + STSG at the donor site. Major and minor donor site complications were 15.0% and 18.8% in the AlloDerm + STSG group compared with 10.2% and 16.9% in the STSG-only group (P = .30 and P = .72), respectively. Complete STSG loss (5.0% vs 3.0%, P = .48), tendon exposure (5...
Chronic Nasal Disease in the Dog: Its Radiographic Diagnosis

The radiographic signs of 40 dogs with chronic nasal disease were tabulated and compared with the definitive diagnoses. Erosion of the vomer bone and/or an external mass were present in 16 of 18 dogs that had nasal tumors. Areas of radiolucency in the nasal cavity were present in 8 of 15 dogs that had nasal fungal disease. Radiographic examination did not provide a highly reliable diagnosis for all dogs with chronic nasal disease.
Late Devonian--Early Mississippian Correlations Central Wasatch Mountains, Utah: ABSTRACT

Strata of Late Devonian age have been recognized west of the Wasatch Front (Pinyon Peak Limestone and "City Creek Limestone") and a few miles east of the Wasatch Mountains in the western Uinta Mountains (Pinyon Peak Limestone?). These consist commonly of a basal sandstone or shale a few feet thick which grades upward to a dolomite sequence that ranges in thickness from 50 to 300 feet. This succession is in turn overlain by the Madison Limestone (Mississippian). On the west this contact is conformable but on the east it is unconformable. In the Wasatch Mountains, sandstone or shale a few feet thick rests on older rocks (mostly of Cambrian age) and changes upward through about a 3-foot interval into medium to dark gray dolomite about 50-150 feet thick, which in turn is over ain conformably by the Madison Limestone. These pre-Madison rocks were tentatively correlated with the Jefferson Formation (Devonian) by earlier workers on the basis of stratigraphic position and lithologic character. Subsequent workers of the U. S. Geological Survey have reported corals of Mississippian affinity from the exposures in American Fork Canyon and have thus assigned a Mississippian age to these strata. Restudy of several of the Wasatch Front exposures disclosed well preserved molds of the brachiopod Cyrtospirifer whitneyi(?) in the basal sandstone in the Big Cottonwood Canyon area. This fossil is generally considered to be of Late Devonian age and has been collected from the Pinyon Peak Limestone in the western Uintas and in the areas west of the Wasatch. Thus the Mississippian age assigned to these rocks on the basis of corals is questionable. Moreover, a Late Devonian age is more consistent with a regional stratigraphic correlation on the basis of physical evidence. Therefore the "Jefferson (?)" of the Wasatch is here correlated with the Pinyon Peak Limestone of the areas east and west. End_of_Article - Last_Page 261------------
HYDRODYNAMIC AND THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE-PHASE AND TWO-PHASE MICRO-PIN-FIN HEAT SINKS

The pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of single-phase and two-phase micro-pin-fin heat sinks were investigated experimentally. Fabricated from 110 copper, the heat sink contained an array of 1950 staggered square micro-pin-fins with 200×200 μm2 cross-section by 670 μm height. The ratios of longitudinal pitch and transverse pitch to pin-fin hydraulic diameter are equal to 2. Deionized water was employed as the cooling liquid. A coolant inlet temperature of 30 °C, and six maximum mass velocities, ranging from 183 to 420 kg/m2 s, were tested. The corresponding inlet Reynolds number ranged from 45.9 to 105.9. General hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of the two flow regimes of single-phase flow and flow boiling were described. The measured temperature distribution was used to evaluate single-phase heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number. Predictions of the previous friction factor and heat transfer correlations that were developed for low Reynolds number (Re<1000) single-phase flow in short pin-fin arrays were compared to the present micro-pin-fin single-phase pressure drop and Nusselt number data, respectively. The Short et al friction factor correlation and the Kosar et al. heat transfer correlation provided acceptable predictions.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Methotrexate (MTX) pathway gene polymorphisms and their effects on MTX toxicity in Caucasian and African American patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Research has examined the association of folate-dependent gene polymorphisms with methotrexate (MTX) toxicity in racially homogenous patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined the influence of MTX transporter gene polymorphisms on MTX toxicity in 2 racial groups of patients with RA. METHODS: Using a retrospective cross-validation approach, the association of polymorphisms in 6 genes in the MTX cellular pathway with MTX toxicity was examined in training and validation cohorts. The genes analyzed were ATP-binding cassette transporter B1 (ABCB1), C1 (ABCC1), C2 (ABCC2), folylpolyglutamyl synthase (FPGS), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and thymidylate synthase (TYMS). Both cohorts included Caucasian Americans and African Americans. Statistical analyses consisted of Fisher exact tests, multivariable logistic regression models, and survival analyses. RESULTS: Four of 25 variants displayed significant associations with MTX toxicity in the training cohort. The intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ABCC2 IVS 23+56 T --> C was associated with alopecia in Caucasians (p = 0.035). ABCB1 1236 C --> T was associated with overall toxicity (p = 0.013); ABCC2 1249 G --> A with gastrointestinal toxicity (p = 0.009); and ABCC2 1058 G --> A with hepatotoxicity (p = 0.04) in African Americans. These 4 SNP and the MTHFR 677 C --> T variant were assessed in the validation cohort. Of these, only the MTHFR 677 C --> T SNP was associated with alopecia, and only in African Americans (p = 0.032). The ABCC2 IVS 23+56 T --> C genotype influenced toxicity-related time to discontinuation or dose decrease in the Caucasian validation cohort (p
Energy gap states and interfacial barriers in amorphous Se and As2Se3

Abstract The optical densities of states within the energy gaps in Se and As2Se3 have been determined by photoemission to be less than 1020 and 2.1019 eV−1 cm−3 respectively. A simple technique for studying interfacial barriers is described and used to show that the Fermi level in Se is not pinned, while that in As2Se3 is pinned within 50 A of an interface by bulk states producing a charge density of ≈ 1020 cm−3.
Coordinated multi-robot exploration of a building for search and rescue situations

In this paper we present a network of small, autonomous mobile robots as a platform for development and testing of radio protocols and search algorithms for search and rescue situations. We also present our initial flooding type radio protocol and a search algorithm partially based on the flood-fill algorithm. Finally, we present the initial results of a network of robots exploring a small model building using the algorithms we have developed.
Pulmonary Endarterectomy: Recent Changes in a Single Institution's Experience of More Than 2,700 Patients

Background Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a known sequela of acute pulmonary embolic disease and yet remains underdiagnosed. Although nonsurgical options for patients with CTEPH have become increasingly available, including pulmonary artery hypertensive medical therapy, surgical endarterectomy provides the most appropriate intervention as a potential cure for this debilitating disorder. This article summarizes the most recent outcomes of pulmonary endarterectomy at a single institution over the past 12 years, with emphasis on the surgical approach to segmental-level chronic thromboembolic disease. Methods More than 2,700 pulmonary endarterectomy operations have been performed at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center. Because of recent changes in the patient population and in surgical results, 1,500 patients with symptomatic chronic thromboembolic disease who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy between March 1999 and December 2010 were analyzed. The outcomes for the more recent 500 patients, compared with the previous 1,000 were studied. Results In-hospital mortality for the cohort of 1,000 patients (group 1) was 5.2% compared with 2.2% for the last 500 operations (group 2) (p Conclusions Despite a patient population with more distal disease, results continue to improve. Pulmonary endarterectomy for patients with CTEPH results in significant pulmonary hemodynamic improvement, with favorable outcomes achievable even in patients with distal segmental-level chronic thromboembolic disease.
Double Minutes and Homogeneously Stained Regions

Double minutes (DMs) and homogeneously stained regions (HSRs) provide good examples of phenomena that were originally regarded as cytological oddities but that have turned out to be expressions of a fundamental process, gene amplification. Evidence for the structure and behavior of DMs and HSRs comes from two sources: human and animal cancers and cell lines subjected to selective pressure for drug resistance. As a rule, they have not been observed in normal untreated cells.
Communication Between Filamentous Pathogens and Plants at the Biotrophic Interface

Fungi and oomycetes that colonize living plant tissue form extensive interfaces with plant cells in which the cytoplasm of the microorganism is closely aligned with the host cytoplasm for an extended distance. In all cases, specialized biotrophic hyphae function to hijack host cellular processes across an interfacial zone consisting of a hyphal plasma membrane, a specialized interfacial matrix, and a plant-derived membrane. The interface is the site of active secretion by both players. This cross talk at the interface determines the winner in adversarial relationships and establishes the partnership in mutualistic relationships. Fungi and oomycetes secrete many specialized effector proteins for controlling the host, and they can stimulate remarkable cellular reorganization even in distant plant cells. Breakthroughs in live-cell imaging of fungal and oomycete encounter sites, including live-cell imaging of pathogens secreting fluorescently labeled effector proteins, have led to recent progress in understan...
Exploiting Petri net graph to model the FSM of modulo-P counter

Traditionally, the basic abstract of a system is described by the general static machine. If we want to model the transactions of the discrete-event system (DES), the finite state machine model does not clearly and evidently to illustrate the state transition. For illustrating and modeling a high-performance state transition system, we can use the Petri nets (PNs) graph to replace the concepts of traditional finite state machine (FSM). In this paper, we issue some novel kinds of elements of the Petri net to replace the FSM, furthermore, to illustrate the state transition. In order to make the focal points stand, we give an example, in which we use the Petri net graph to illustrate the combination logic control circuit of Modulo-p counter, to prove our assumption
The origin recognition complex interacts with a bipartite DNA binding site within yeast replicators

Replicators are genetically defined elements within chromosomes that determine the location of origins of DNA replication. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the ARS1 replicator contains multiple functional DNA elements: an essential A element and three important B elements--B1, B2, and B3. Functionally similar A, B1, and B2 elements are also present in the ARS307 replicator. The B3 element binds a replication and transcription enhancer protein Abf1p, whereas the A element is required for binding the origin recognition complex (ORC). The function of the B1 and B2 elements remains to be defined. We have used a gel-based DNA binding assay to study the interaction between replicators and the putative initiator protein ORC. In addition to the established requirements for ATP and the A element for ORC-DNA interaction, the new data demonstrate that sequences in the B1 element are also important for ORC-DNA association. This conclusion is supported by DNase I footprint analyses and demonstrates that ORC binds to a bipartitite recognition element within the DNA. Furthermore, mutation of nucleotides in the B1 element suggests that this element has other functions in the initiation of DNA replication besides participating in the ORC-DNA interaction.
XWRAPComposer: A multi-page data extraction service

We present a service-oriented architecture and a set of techniques for developing wrapper code generators, including the methodology of designing an effective wrapper program construction facility and a concrete implementation, called XWRAPComposer. Our wrapper generation framework has two unique design goals. First, we explicitly separate tasks of building wrappers that are specific to a Web service from the tasks that are repetitive for any service, thus the code can be generated as a wrapper library component and reused automatically by the wrapper generator system. Second, we use inductive learning algorithms that derive information flow and data extraction patterns by reasoning about sample pages or sample specifications. More importantly, we design a declarative rule-based script language for multi-page information extraction, encouraging a clean separation of the information extraction semantics from the information flow control and execution logic of wrapper programs. We implement these design principles with the development of the XWRAPComposer toolkit, which can semi-automatically generate WSDL-enabled wrapper programs. We illustrate the problems and challenges of multipage data extraction in the context of bioinformatics applications and evaluate the design and development of XWRAPComposer through our experiences of integrating various BLAST services.
REGULATION OF COLLECTING DUCT NA+ REABSORPTION BY ANP 31-67

1. The bulk of studies of the actions of atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) have focussed on the carboxyterminal derivative (ANP 99-126) of the prohormone (ANP 1-126), but recent evidence indicates that an additional peptide derived from ANP 1-126, namely, ANP 31-67 also circulates, and has natriuretic actions. 2. The effects of ANP 31-67 on inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) Na+ transport have been examined in freshly prepared suspensions of rabbit IMCD cells. Like ANP 99-126, ANP 31-67 reduces Na+ transport in these cells. 3. However, unlike ANP 99-126, this effect is not mediated by cGMP, and does not result from inhibition of apical Na+ channels. Rather, ANP 31-67 inhibits basolateral Na/K-ATPase, probably via the stimulation of PGE2 synthesis. 4. These results are discussed in the context of other natriuretic substances (interleukin 1 and endothelin), which also inhibit Na+ reabsorption by PGE2-mediated inhibition of Na/K-ATPase.
Does postoperative showering or bathing of a surgical site increase the incidence of infection? A systematic review of the literature

Infection is one of the many postoperative complications a surgeon must attempt to control during the perioperative period. Surgeons have used a variety of modalities to prevent surgical site infection and have adhered to a variety of protocols. It has been common for foot and ankle surgeons to recommend that a patient keep the surgical incision covered and dry and to instruct the patient to avoid bathing and showering until the sutures have been removed. Surgeons have theorized that this will reduce contamination of the surgical site and help to prevent infection. We questioned the evidence basis for this practice and undertook a systematic review of electronic databases and other relevant sources regarding the incidence of infection when patients had been allowed to wet their surgical incision site by showering or bathing before suture removal. Nine studies involving 2150 patients met our inclusion criteria. No increased incidence of infection was found in the patients allowed to shower or bathe as a part of their normal daily hygiene before suture removal compared with those who were instructed to keep the site dry until suture removal.
Neighborhood safety, collective efficacy, and obesity in women with young children.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that mothers of young children would have a higher prevalence of obesity if they lived in neighborhoods that they perceived as unsafe or as having a low level of collective efficacy. Research Methods and Procedures: Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 2445 women living in 20 large (population ≥ 200, 000) U.S. cities. BMI was measured on 72% and self-reported on 28%. Perception of neighborhood safety was assessed with the Neighborhood Environment for Children Rating Scales. The collective efficacy measure was adapted from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Results: Thirty percent of the women were married, 38% lived below the U.S. poverty threshold, and 66% reported no education beyond high school. Approximately one-half of the women were non-Hispanic black, and one-fourth were Hispanic (any race). After adjustment for sociodemographic factors (household income, education, race/ethnicity, age, and marital status), smoking, depression, and television time, the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) increased across tertiles of neighborhood safety from safest to least safe (37% vs. 41% vs. 46%, p = 0.004) but did not differ across tertiles of collective efficacy from highest to lowest (41% vs. 40% vs. 42%, p = 0.67). Discussion: In a national sample of women with young children, obesity was more prevalent among those who perceived their neighborhoods to be unsafe.
Who practised love-magic in classical antiquity and in the late Roman world?

INTRODUCTIONVery soon after I began working on the identity of magic-workers in classical antiquity, I realized that it was necessary to come to terms with a thesis about depictions of erotic magic-working in Greek and Roman literature. It asserted that male writers engaged in a systematic misrepresentation of the realities of magic-working in portraying erotic magic as an exclusively female preserve; the reality was that men were the main participants in this form of magic-working. The thesis is based on the supposition that the truth about erotic magic and the people who performed it is to be found in the formularies or spell-books preserved in papyrus and in defixiones. These two sources of information are said to show us that erotic magic was performed by men and not by the women who are the persons depicted engaging in love-magic in literature. The scholar who first presented the thesis was the late John Winkler. A version of it is to be found in Fritz Graf's general account of Greek and Roman magic. There is agreement over what are taken to be the facts, but views diverge over their interpretation. Winkler appeals to the Freudian notion of denial and transference to offer an explanation not only of the discrepancy between life and literature, but of what he took to be the belief held by the young men who cast erotic spells that the girls who were the objects of their spells were as sexually eager as they were: men, when overwhelmed by sexual desire for unattainable women, through a process of denial transfer that feeling to women, whether old or young, whom they fondly imagine suffer the same intense sexual longings as themselves.
Variations in Performance and Scalability When Migrating n-Tier Applications to Different Clouds

The increasing popularity of computing clouds continues to drive both industry and research to provide answers to a large variety of new and challenging questions. We aim to answer some of these questions by evaluating performance and scalability when an n-tier application is migrated from a traditional datacenter environment to an IaaS cloud. We used a representative n-tier macro-benchmark (RUBBoS) and compared its performance and scalability in three different test beds: Amazon EC2, Open Cirrus (an open scientific research cloud), and Emulab (academic research test bed). Interestingly, we found that the best-performing configuration in Emulab can become the worst-performing configuration in EC2. Subsequently, we identified the bottleneck components, high context switch overhead and network driver processing overhead, to be at the system level. These overhead problems were confirmed at a finer granularity through micro-benchmark experiments that measure component performance directly. We describe concrete alternative approaches as practical solutions for resolving these problems.
Perceptions of Health-Related Quality of Life A Minority Men’s Perspective

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures among the African American populations have previously been inadequately studied. This study sought to further analyze the quality of life of African American men at the Cleveland Clinic Minority Men's Health Center and Cleveland Clinic Minority Men's Health Fair. Subjects were randomly selected at the Minority Health Fair and Minority Men's Health Center clinics over the duration of 2 weeks to participate in the anonymous survey with the help of independent surveyors. Convenience sampling was done at the Minority Men's Health Fair and at the Minority Men's Health Clinics. Participants were administered in-person Short Form-36 (SF-36v2). A total of 83 participants were surveyed, and the response rate from the surveyed population was 100%. The only exclusion criterion for the study was the refusal to participate ( n = 0). As compared with healthy U.S. norms, African American men reported lower HRQOL across six health domains: physical functioning (60.69 ± 2.82 vs. 84.2), general health (57.56 ± 2.41 vs. 72), social functioning (72.65 ± 3.17 vs. 83.3), role-emotional (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3), mental health (61.23 ± 2.34 vs. 74.7), and role-physical (62.5 ± 2.88 vs. 81). The largest difference between the health domains was reported in role limitations due to emotional problems (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3, 25.4). Marital analysis revealed clinically significant lower HRQOL in married African Americans as compared with nonmarried, statistically significant in physical functioning and physical health component ( p < .05). African Americans disproportionally face pervasive disparities in health, as supported by extensive quality of life impairment. No other study, to our knowledge, has used quality of life assessment in African Americans to quantitate how such disparities are affecting important domains in their lives.
A Not So Benign Abdomen

Question: A 55-year-old Egyptian woman with a history of migraine, B-cell lymphoma (in remission), and depression was admitted with diffuse abdominal pain after 2 presentations to the emergency department within 1 week with similar complaints. She denied nausea, vomiting, hematochezia or fever. She had been seen in the GI clinic over many years with postprandial epigastric pain and nausea with negative imaging and endoscopic testing and had been diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. Physical examination revealed the patient looked pale and was in distress with mild tenderness to deep palpation in the left upper abdominal quadrant, with no guarding or rebound and a generally soft abdomen. Rectal examination was negative for masses and blood. Laboratory testing was pertinent for a decrease in hemoglobin from 12 to 9 g/dL. Other routine laboratory tests were normal. She underwent computed tomography scanning of the abdomen/pelvis, which revealed intraabdominal hemorrhage in the left upper quadrant around the body and tail of the pancreas, between stomach and spleen with extension to the pararenal space (Figure A). What is the etiology of the patient’s intraabdominal hemorrhage? See the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.