cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of the formation and metabolic disposition of 3,4 dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol in whole rat brain.

The catabolism of intraventricularly injected3H-(1)-norepinephrine (NE) by whole rat brain was studied at different time points. Particular attention was given to the formation and metabolic disposition of dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG). Following the intraventricular injection of3H-(1)-NE it was found that 1.0% of the total radioactivity present in whole rat brain was free3H-DHPG, 14.5% was present as conjugated3H-DHPG, and total3H-3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (3H-MHPG) accounted for 25% of the radioactivity in brain. These data indicate that MHPG and conjugated DHPG are the major products of brain NE and are present in the ratio of 2∶1.3H-DHPG was synthesized, purified, and its identity confirmed. The metabolism of free3H-DHPG in whole rat brain was studied following intraventricular administration. It was found that 30 min after injection 1.5% of the total radioactivity in whole rat brain was present as free3H-DHPG, 34% as conjugated3H-DHPG, 15% as free3H-MHPG, and 31% as conjugated3H-MHPG indicating that free DHPG is rapidly conjugated or converted to MHPG. Finally, in order to determine whether or not peripheral catabolism of intraventricularly administered3H-(1)-NE affects the observed distribution of the3H-metabolic products of norepinephrine present in whole rat brain, rats were pretreated with a MAO inhibitor (2, 9-dimethyl-β-carbolinium iodide [DMCI]) which does not cross the blood brain barrier and then received intraventricular injections of3H-(1)-NE. The amounts of the3H-metabolic products of norepinephrine were then determined. No differences were noted between the DMCI-treated and the control groups. This finding suggests that the observed distribution of the3H-metabolites present in whole rat brain after intraventricular administration of3H-(1)-NE is the products of central catabolism, per se.
Effects of prednisone in canine muscular dystrophy

Glucocorticoid use may provide short-term functional improvement in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We report functional and histopathologic changes following a 4-month course of daily oral prednisone in a canine model of DMD, termed golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD). Muscle extension forces in GRMD dogs treated daily with 1 and 2 mg/kg prednisone measured 2.349 +/- 0.92 and 3.486 +/- 0.67 N/kg, respectively, compared to 1.927 +/- 0.63 N/kg in untreated GRMD controls (p < 0.05 for 2 mg/kg group); GRMD muscle flexion forces measured 0.435 +/- 0.13 and 0.303 +/- 0.08 N/kg, respectively, compared to 0.527 +/- 0.01 N/kg in untreated GRMD controls (p < 0.05 for both groups). Although cranial sartorius hypertrophy and tibiotarsal joint angles also tended to improve, myofiber calcification increased and fetal myosin expression decreased following prednisone. Thus, functional data indicate benefit but histopathologic changes following prednisone treatment in GRMD suggest possible deleterious consequences.
IPMC Force Scanner

This paper describes the design and development of device capable of measuring the force output of ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMC) actuators in two dimensions. Results from an experiment on a rectangular IPMC (17 mm × 7 mm × .07 mm) are used to show that blocked force output across the actuator varies by greater than 85% for a 3V input (Fig. 1). This decrease in blocked force output is shown to be exponential and occurring along the length. Deviations in single digit mN force output for the actuator are shown to generally be less than 10%.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Synthesis and degradation of chicken liver xanthine dehydrogenase during development.

Abstract The rate of synthesis and degradation of xanthine dehydrogenase in 14-day-old chick embryos, 1-day-old and 8-day-old chicks was determined. When [ 14 C]arginine is used the rate constant for synthesis is low in the embryo, increases about 4-fold immediately upon hatching, and reaches a maximum by the eighth day after hatching. The rate constant when [ 14 C]valine is the substrate is 2.5 times greater in the 1-day-old chick than the value obtained with arginine. Degradation of xanthine dehydrogenase is low in the embryo, or the 1-day-old chick, but increases in the 8-day-old chick.
The Power of Collaboration: Learning to Teach Antiracist Content

In this article the author examines the experiences of eight teacher educators within a collaborative teaching community as they learned to meet the unique challenges of teaching antiracist content. Such spaces can be powerful places of mentoring and retreat that sustain the legacy of critical multicultural education, yet they remain institutionally precarious.
Constriction of the Fetal Ductus Arteriosus Induced by Oxygen, Acteylcholine, and Norepinephrine in Normal Dogs and those Genetically Predisposed to Persistent Patency

Functional closure of the isolated perfused ductus arteriosus was studied in normal dog fetuses and in fetuses receiving various known proportions of their genes from dogs with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Constriction of the ductus in response to O2, acetylcholine (ACh), and norepinephrine (NE) was evaluated by plotting changes in input conductance against time. Ductuses from the control (normal dog) fetuses constricted in response to high PO2, ACh, and NE, indicating that in the dog the response of the ductus arteriosus to these agents is qualitatively similar to that in other mammals. Hypoxia relaxed the O2 constricted ductus. After two to three cycles of oxygenation and hypoxia, the ductus became refractory to O2 but remained responsive to ACh and NE. Ductuses from PDA-related fetuses tended to be more widely patent when hypoxic and did not respond to O2, ACh, and NE to a degree comparable to the control fetuses. Both the proportion of subnormal ductal responses and degree of abnormality in the PDA...
THE DELAYED EFFECTS OF CHRONIC UNPREDICTABLE STRESS ON ANXIETY MEASURES

Previous research has found that exposure to unpredictable stress can augment anxiety in humans and animals. The appearance of anxiety symptoms in humans frequently develop after stress exposure has terminated, but few rodent studies have systematically examined the delayed anxiogenic effects of unpredictable stress. Therefore, the current study investigated whether anxiety-like behaviors in rats would increase at several time intervals following exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Unconditioned and conditioned response tasks were used to assess anxiety in male rats 1, 7 or 14 days following exposure to 10 days of a variety of stressors. Rats exposed to CUS showed increased burying behaviors and immobility during the defensive burying test, a conditioned anxiety test. The effects on burying behavior were apparent 7 and 14 days after the termination of the unpredictable stress procedure, but not when tested 1 day after CUS. Total time immobile in the defensive burying test also increased 14 days after termination of the last stressor. In contrast, there were no significant effects of CUS on behavioral measures in the unconditioned response tasks, the elevated plus-maze or light-dark box, at any time point following exposure to CUS. The current findings suggest that CUS may be a useful model of human conditioned anxiety that develops subsequent to chronic stress exposure.
Determination of accurate critical-point energies and linewidths from optical data

It is not possible to obtain accurate critical-point linewidths or energies directly from spectroscopic ellipsometry, reflectance, or even thermoreflectance or piezoreflectance line shapes without first differentiating those line shapes. On the other hand, the numerical differentiation of experimental line shapes before fitting them to parametrized theoretical functional forms introduces systematic distortion and broadening, which affects the values found for critical-point energies and linewidths. For that reason, low-field electroreflectance, which within the Franz-Keldysh-Aspnes theory is a third-derivative modulation technique, has long been considered a preferable technique for the determination of critical-point energies and linewidths. However, more recently it has been shown that electroreflectance often contains substantial first- and second-derivative contributions and that it is especially sensitive to sample surfaces, interfaces, and highly defectuous regions. For that reason, it may not yield accurate values for bulk critical-point energies and linewidths. Thus, spectroscopic ellipsometry would be the most reliable method for obtaining accurate bulk critical-point energies and linewidths if the systematic distortion and broadening introduced by numerical differentiation and smoothing could be eliminated. In this paper we present a simple method for doing so. We present several examples to show that this method gives accurate undistorted differentiated line shapes and hence accurate values for critical-point energies and linewidths.
Scaling Up and Moving In: Connecting social practices views to policies and programs in adult education

The social practices framework has had a major impact on adult literacy and numeracy research over the past quarter century in the US, the UK and other countries. To date, the social practices view has had far less influence on the development of policies and programs in adult literacy and numeracy education. To help this happen, new kinds of assessment tools aligned with the social practices framework are needed to support appropriate changes in curriculum design, learner assessment and program evaluation. In this article research is presented that illustrates how measures of adults’ engagement in literacy and numeracy practices can be used in conjunction with well-entrenched proficiency measures to provide a richer quantitative framework for adult literacy and numeracy development. Longitudinal data about learners indicate that adult education programs are more closely aligned with practice engagement measures than with proficiency measures. Program participation leads to increased practice engagement that, over time, leads to the very gains in proficiency currently valued by policy makers.
Usefulness of human papillomavirus testing in the follow-up of patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia after conization.

Abstract Objective We aimed to define the adjunctive role of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing in the follow-up of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) after conization. Study design We analyzed a consecutive series of 2,154 patients who received conization. Patients who had cone diagnosis of cervical cancer or CIN 1, a hysterectomy within 12 weeks after conization, and no follow-up data were excluded. The remaining 765 patients (monitored by Pap smears, colposcopy with or without high-risk HPV DNA testing) were analyzed. Results Of the 765 patients, 279 had CIN at cone margin or endocervix (group A) while 486 were both margin- and endocervix-free (group B). The 3-year cumulative rate of residual/recurrent high-grade CIN was 10.3% (95% CI, 6.9-13.7). HPV follow-up status (P = .015), margin status (P = .001), and follow-up cervical cytology (P Conclusion HPV DNA testing is useful in the follow-up and understanding of the natural history after conization for high-grade CIN.
Evaluation of the Model Curriculum in Computer Science and Engineering

Curriculum reports in computer science and engineering have traditionally resulted from committees, working in relative isolation. Once chosen, the members of such committees as the ACM Curriculum Committee on Computer Science and the COSINE Committee have held meetings, debated, occasionally consulted with resource people, and then have published their results. Informal prepublication reviews have occurred, but no formal, formative evaluation of previous work in CSE curriculum has ever been published.
Multi-Class Segmentation with Relative Location Prior

Multi-class image segmentation has made significant advances in recent years through the combination of local and global features. One important type of global feature is that of inter-class spatial relationships. For example, identifying "tree" pixels indicates that pixels above and to the sides are more likely to be "sky" whereas pixels below are more likely to be "grass." Incorporating such global information across the entire image and between all classes is a computational challenge as it is image-dependent, and hence, cannot be precomputed. In this work we propose a method for capturing global information from inter-class spatial relationships and encoding it as a local feature. We employ a two-stage classification process to label all image pixels. First, we generate predictions which are used to compute a local relative location feature from learned relative location maps. In the second stage, we combine this with appearance-based features to provide a final segmentation. We compare our results to recent published results on several multi-class image segmentation databases and show that the incorporation of relative location information allows us to significantly outperform the current state-of-the-art.
Polyphenol contents in grape-seed extracts correlate with antipica effects in cisplatin-treated rats

Background: Grape-seed (Vitis spp.) extract (GSE) is a widely used antioxidant dietary supplement. Chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin induce oxidative damage in the gastrointestinal tract and cause nausea and vomiting. Materials and methods: A rat model of simulated emesis was used to observe that cisplatin significantly increased kaolin consumption (or pica). Three GSEs from different sources were used in this study. Results: High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of five major constituents (gallic acid, catechin, epicatechi, procyanidin B2, and epicatechin gallate) revealed that each constituent had different levels in the three GSEs. Extract #1, prepared in the laboratory of the investigators, had the lowest total polyphenol content (27.27 mg/g); Extract #2, obtained from a dietary supplement company in the United States, had a somewhat higher level (35.84 mg/g); and Extract #3, obtained from China, had the highest level (194.21 mg/g). Subsequently these GSEs were intraperitoneally adm...
Preparation of entangled and antiferromagnetic states by dissipative Rydberg pumping.

We propose and analyze an approach for preparation of high fidelity entanglement and antiferromagnetic states using Rydberg mediated interactions with dissipation. Using asymmetric Rydberg interactions the two-atom Bell singlet is a dark state of the Rydberg pumping process. Master equation simulations demonstrate Bell singlet preparation fidelity $\mathcal{F}=0.998$. Antiferromagnetic states are generated on a four-spin plaquette in agreement with results found from diagonalization of the transverse field Ising Hamiltonian.
Impact of an Elective Course on Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes, Beliefs, and Competency Regarding Medicare Part D

Objective. To determine the impact of an elective course on pharmacy students’ perceptions, knowledge, and confidence regarding Medicare Part D, medication therapy management (MTM), and immunizations. Design. Thirty-three pharmacy students were enrolled in a Medicare Part D elective course that included both classroom instruction and experiential training. Assessment. Students’ self-reported confidence in and knowledge of Part D significantly improved upon course completion. End-of-course student perceptions about the relative importance of various aspects of MTM interventions and their confidence in performing MTM services significantly improved from those at the beginning of the course. Students’ confidence in performing immunizations also increased significantly from the start of the course. Conclusion. A classroom course covering Medicare Part D with an experiential requirement serving beneficiaries can improve students’ attitudes and knowledge about Medicare Part D and their confidence in providing related services to beneficiaries in the community.
AUTOMATING CONFIGURATION PROCESSES: A STEP TOWARD MASS CUSTOMIZATION

For companies to maintain a competitive advantage in a changing global market they must continuously improve to operate profitably and strive for customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction means delivering the right product, customized to exact specifications, delivered when it is needed with excellent support services available. Today's manufacturing processes are moving from mass production to mass customization to support individual customer needs. In addition to the production process complexity, the systems themselves are becoming increasingly more complex. A key enabler to manage this complexity is to capture and organize user requirements and map them to a configurator to produce accurate Bills of Material. This paper describes aspects of implementing automated configuration processes using a semiconductor equipment manufacturer for examples of business issues.
Coop-Dis-Q: A Reading Comprehension Strategy.

Improving students' reading comprehension is a pervading instructional challenge. Cooperative learning, discussion, and questioning strategies are several effective means to accomplish this. A new instructional technique, Cooperative Discussion and Questioning (Coop-Dis-Q) was developed by taking all three elements and incorporating them into one strategy. The premise is that the strength of each will augment the benefits of the other two, creating a synergistic instructional effect. Field testing took place in a fifth-grade classroom using small groups working with a novel that had been read to the entire class. Coop-Dis-Q compels students to take active roles and assume responsibility for decision making at several levels.
Prevalence of hypogonadism among men with weight loss related to human immunodeficiency virus infection who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Previous studies have indicated that there is a significant prevalence (50%) of hypogonadism among men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated wasting, and for these patients testosterone administration has been shown to increase lean body mass and improve quality of life. However, the prevalence of hypogonadism is not known among men with weight loss related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). From 1997 through 1999, we investigated total and free testosterone levels in 90 men who were 10% from preillness weight; 71% of these subjects were receiving HAART. Twenty-one percent of the subjects receiving HAART had low free testosterone levels. No correlation was seen between weight, CD4 cell count, medication status, and other clinical factors. These data suggest that hypogonadism remains relatively common in men with AIDS wasting, despite treatment with HAART. HIV-infected men with wasting syndrome should be screened for hypogonadism and receive physiological androgen replacement therapy if they are hypogonadal.
Pain control in small-animal patients

Abstract An understanding of receptors and mechanisms involved in pain and suffering is essential in selecting proper methods of treatment. Detection of pain, knowing types of pain, and understanding reasons why presurgical administration of analgesic drugs (pre-emptive analgesia) is essential to relief of pain and distress. Animals feel pain to the same extent as humans and they have a wide variation in tolerance to pain stimuli as well. Animals may express pain or discomfort in two ways. Excessive activity or relative lethargy are both overt reflections of a painful state. Expressions of pain may be exhibited by moaning, groaning, crying, whimpering, looking at the painful area, licking or biting or simply a decrease in activity. Pain may be categorized as minor, moderate, or severe. Pain may be superficial, somatic (muscle and skin), or visceral or combinations. Moderate and severe pain always require treatment and visceral pain is usually more intense than somatic pain. Opiate receptors are the normal sites of action of several endogenous substances. There are three major types of opioid receptors designated as mu, kappa and sigma. Opioids and opioid antagonists have different affinities for different receptors. Agonist analgesics such as morphine, meperidine, fentanyl, and oxymorphone exert their effects by attaching to the mu receptors. A relatively pure antagonist, naloxone, will displace another compound on these receptors but exert little or no effect. The mixed drugs, agonist–antagonists or partial agonists, may be used as analgesics if no opioid compound has been used, or as antagonists to reverse the effects of an opioid on the mu receptor while at the same time not competing with the effects on the k receptor that is, preserving the analgesia provided by that receptor. Some of the mixed drugs are better agonists wile others are better antagonists. Animals recovering from surgery are often surprised and confused because they hurt and therefore sedation along with analgesia preanesthesia is often desirable and necessary for proper treatment of postsurgical pain. Therefore, giving an analgesic before surgery will be advantageous. The second choice is to give analgesics after surgery, but before recovery from anesthesia.
Rural Kinship Caregivers' Perceptions of Child Well-Being: The Use of Attribution Theory

Sixty-one rural, southwestern U.S. kinship caregivers were asked about their experiences and how those experiences influence the well-being of the 122 children in their care. They reported high levels of caregiving readiness/capacity and parenting abilities. Attribution theory, the manner in which people associate behavior, is used to interpret the findings and provide a set of practice, programming, and policy recommendations.
Absorption cross sections and kinetic considerations of the IO radical as determined by laser flash photolysis/laser absorption spectroscopy

Independent measurements of the absorption cross section of the IO radical for the A/sup 2/II-X/sup 2/II band system are reported. A value of (3.1 +- 0.6) x 10/sup -17/ cm/sup 2/ was observed for the (4,0) bandhead in good agreement with an earlier investigation. Results are also reported for the (5,0), (3,0), (2,0), and (1,0) bands over the wavelength range of 410-470 nm. However, no measurable ( .. products (3) has been measured at 760 Torr of N/sub 2/ and 300 K. The measured effective bimolecular rate constant was found to be (6.6 +- 2) x 10/sup -11/ cm/sup 3/ x molecule/sup -1/ x s/sup -1/, in good agreement with recent results by Sander (1986).
Micromechanical structures for data storage

Rapidly increasing demand for data storage continues to drive the storage industry in a primary technological trend: the areal data density of the stored information must also increase at a very high rate. Micromechanical structures are soon likely to be needed to accommodate the increased mechanical positioning precision necessary for reading and writing data, as the bit and track sizes continue to decrease. Furthermore, as one considers storage densities beyond magnetic or optical limits, micromechanical devices will be needed to extend storage capacity through the use of advanced recording mechanisms. A first example of micromechanical engineering for data storage is a microactuator used as the fine stage of a two-stage actuator to position a magnetic recording head. Using the microactuator, the head can be positioned more rapidly and precisely, than can be accomplished by a conventional voice coil motor-driven, single-stage actuator. This device is a lithographically-defined, high-aspect-ratio, electroplated structure which is electrostatically-driven. The fabrication process and mechanical characteristics are described for the device, which may have linear or rotary motion. A micromechanical scanning probe structure, which may represent the basis for future directions for data storage, is also described. An Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)-based probe device is used to generate and detect fine pits in a polymer storage medium, using a probe-heating laser and a motion-detection laser. An areal density of 25 Gb/in^2 is achieved, along with a data reading rate of about 1 Mb/s. Key to this level of performance is the incorporation of an extremely low-mass (0.3 ng) AFM probe, having a spring constant of about 1 N/m. Probe fabrication and associated performance are given.
Predicting Drug-Free Treatment Response in Acute Psychosis From the Soteria Project

Although an estimated 25 to 40 percent of acute psychoses remit without antipsychotic drug treatment, only limited efforts have been made to identify individuals in early episodes who might be able to recover without medications. This retrospective exploratory study uses baseline information from the Soteria project (young, unmarried, first and second episode DSM-II schizophrenia, n = 179) to develop a preliminary model for this purpose. Forty-three percent of experimentally treated subjects received no antipsychotic medications during the 2-year followup period and were designated "drug-free responders." At followup, this group had better outcomes (+ 0.82 of a standard deviation [SD]) on a composite outcome scale (representing rehospitalization, psychopathology, independent living, social and occupational functioning). A predictive model using three variables (age, the Goldstein Adolescent Social Competence Scale score, and number of diagnostic symptoms) correctly identified this subgroup 79 percent of the time (boot-strapped 95% confidence interval [CI], 65-90%). Predicted drug-free responders exhibited moderately better outcomes (effect size: 0.38 to 0.61 of an SD) when treated at Soteria. These data advance the hypothesis that an identifiable subgroup of individuals with early episode psychosis might fare better when receiving specialized psychosocial intervention and minimal or no use of antipsychotic medications.
Feasibility and Preliminary Real-World Promise of a Manualized Group-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Protocol for Veterans

ABSTRACT Insomnia is increasingly common among the general population, even more so among veterans. Given the adverse impact of insomnia on both mental and physical health of veterans, it is important to provide effective treatments within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Group-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) provides a viable option for treatment. This study reports the feasibility, acceptability, initial effectiveness, and durability of group-based CBT-I in a clinical sample of veterans with comorbid medical and mental health diagnoses; the treatment was provided in a real-world VHA hospital setting using a manualized protocol that was explicitly adapted from the existing 1:1 CBT-I VHA protocol. Overall, we found the treatment to be feasible and acceptable to veterans, as well as effective. We found medium to large effect sizes for both questionnaire and sleep diary measures, including sleep onset latency, awakenings during the night, sleep efficiency, insomnia sc...
The usefulness of colposcopic photographs in the evaluation of suspected child sexual abuse

Abstract A colposcope with a camera attachment was used for noninvasive examination of the external genitalia in 190 patients 1–14 years old, who were referred for sexual abuse evaluations. In a subset of 88 patients, in whom clear colposcopic photographs were obtained, 33 (37%) had abnormal findings on examination but only 26 (30%) were believed to have findings suspicious for sexual abuse after a review of the colposcopic photographs. ECG calipers were useful in obtaining direct horizontal measurements of the hymenal opening. The measurements were closer to those taken from photographs on each patient (mean difference 0.6 mm) than direct measurements using a paper tape measure (mean difference 2.4 mm). The review of colposcopic photographs decreased the frequency of findings suspicious for sexual abuse in this population of referred patients.
Language behavior and hierarchic integration in a psychotic child.

A longitudinal study of a schizophrenic boy is presented with a focus on language behavior and hierarchic integration. Ten-minute interviews (N=13), at c.3-month intervals, were recorded and transcribed during a period commencing at the patient's age of 3 1/2 years and ending at 7. Analysis included verbal productions (linguistic factors and content), clinical play and graphic data. The child's global behavior showed increasing functional and social adaptation. Language structure in relation to fantasy level proved useful in describing his unique psychic structure and the gradual relationship to objects. Competence in language and play seemed to emerge together as though related to an underlying factor inferred as cognitive organization. The method of investigation and findings are discussed in light of broader implications for the study of deviant development and diagnosis of psychoses in childhood.
2-Ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine: odor thresholds in water solution.

Abstract Odor threshold studies of highly purified forms of 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethypyrazine and 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine in water solution showed that the -3,5- isomer was a much more potent odorant with a threshold of 0.04 μg / L compared to that of 8.6 μg /L for the -3,6- isomer, thus confirming reported aroma extract dilution analysis air diluted GC effluent threshold measurements on these compounds.
Validation of a virtual reality balance module for use in clinical concussion assessment and management.

Objective:To determine the criterion and content validity of a virtual reality (VR) balance module for use in clinical practice.Design:Retrospective, VR balance module completed by participants during concussion baseline or assessment testing session.Setting:A Pennsylvania State University research
Staging globalization for national projects: Global sport markets and elite athletic transnational labour in Qatar

The global migration of elite athletes is a key feature of the transnational labour market. Following a background discussion and review of the literature on sport and transnationalism, this articl...
Combining data remapping and voltage/frequency scaling of second level memory for energy reduction in embedded systems

In this paper we show that the energy reductions obtained from using two techniques, data remapping (DR) and voltage/frequency scaling of off-chip bus and memory, combine to provide interesting trade offs between energy, execution time and power. Both methods aim to reduce the energy consumed by the memory subsystem. DR is a fully automatic compile time technique applicable to pointer-intensive dynamic applications. Voltage/frequency scaling of off-chip memory is a technique applied at the hardware level. When combined together, energy reductions can be as high as 49.45%. The improvements are verified in the context of three OLDEN pointer-centric benchmarks, namely Perimeter, Health and TSP.
On Pyrrhonism, Stances, and Believing What You Want

The paper considers the relations between the Pyrrhonism of Sextus Empiricus and epistemological voluntarism, as applied both to epistemic stances and to individual beliefs. In the first part, the main question is whether ancient skepticism is congenial to the idea of alternative epistemic stances (and hence, potentially, to voluntarism about them). The answer proposed is that skepticism does not in fact recognize this possibility. However, this is not due to any essential features of skepticism itself; rather, it is because, like ancient Greek philosophy in general, the stance skepticism in fact unquestioningly assumes is that of realism. In the second part, the focus is more directly on voluntarism and its compatibility with skepticism. The difficulty with bringing these two together, it is argued, is that, while voluntarism gives one license to hold either of two opposing beliefs, skepticism is in the business of subverting beliefs; in this respect their orientations are in opposite directions. A closing suggestion is that if there is any place where ancient skepticism and voluntarism might meet, it is not in the Pyrrhonist tradition, but in the mitigated skepticism of the late Academy, which allowed the holding of (albeit tentative) beliefs.
XPS of organized molecular assembly/copper interfaces: HS(CH2)11OH/Cu

Abstract The interaction of evaporated copper overlayers with the terminal hydroxyl functional group of an organized molecular assembly (OMA) of HS(CH2)11OH has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An analysis of constituent core level and Auger spectra shows that a limited amount of Cu oxide is formed at low coverage and is accompanied by a Cu(0) component that grows rapidly with increasing copper coverage. Carbon and oxygen line-shape changes are consistent with the low-coverage interaction of Cu with the COH functional group of the OMA. The peak intensities fit models in which for coverages below 0.5 nm the deposited copper resides at the OH surface of the OMA, but at higher coverages copper penetrates into the OMA and reaches the OMA/Au interface.
Is there any difference in recurrence rates in laparoscopic ileocolic resection for Crohn's disease compared with conventional surgery? A long-term, follow-up study.

The long-term outcome of laparoscopic ileocolic resection in patients with Crohn's disease is not well defined. This study was designed to define the surgical recurrence rate after laparoscopic ileocolic resection for Crohn's disease and to compare it with that seen after open ileocolic resection. A retrospective review of 113 records of patients who underwent index ileocolic resection for terminal ileal Crohn's disease was performed (1987–2003). Recurrence was defined as development of new preanastomotic Crohn's disease requiring surgical intervention. Details of recurrence and use of chemoprophylaxis was determined by phone interview andchart review. Sixty-three patients (26 males; mean age, 35.2 years) underwent laparoscopic ileocolic resection and 50 had open ileocolic resection (17 males; mean age, 37.1 years). Surgical recurrence developed in 6of 63 patients (9.5 percent) in the laparoscopic ileocolic resection group (mean follow-up, 62.9 months) and in 12of 50 patients (24 percent) in the open ileocolic resection group (mean follow-up, 81.8 months). Rates of chemoprophylaxis were similar between groups (laparoscopic ileocolic resection, 39 percent; open ileocolic resection, 54 percent; P = not significant). Median times to recurrence after laparoscopic ileocolic resection and open ileocolic resection were 60 (range, 36–72) months and 62 (range, 12–180) months, respectively. Fifty percent of the recurrences in the laparoscopic ileocolic resection group and 4 of 12 in the open ileocolic resection group were able to be retreated laparoscopically. Re-recurrence occurred in 4 of 12 open ileocolic resection patients (33 percent) at a mean of 63.6 months, and one patient had a third recurrence at 28 months. In this study, the long-term outcome after laparoscopic ileocolic resection was not shown to be statistically different from that of open ileocolic resection. The relatively low recurrence rates in both groups may be explained by our aggressive use of chemoprophylaxis.
Functional expression of human DNA topoisomerase I and its subcellular localization in HeLa cells

DNA topoisomerase (topo) I plays an important role in DNA metabolism by relieving the torsional restraints of DNA topology through ATP-independent single-strand DNA breakage. In the present study, we expressed human topo I in HeLa cells by fusing it to enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The EGFP-topo I fusion protein is functionally active in that it relaxes supercoiled plasmid DNA; forms complexes with DNA, as revealed by band depletion assays; and increases the sensitivity of cells to topo I inhibitors such as topotecan, as determined by growth inhibition assays. In contrast, a mutant form of the EGFP-topo I fusion protein, in which the active Tyr has been replaced by Phe (Y723F), has no such activities. Furthermore, the fusion protein localizes to the nucleus at interphase and completely associates with chromatids at every stage of mitosis. Of importance, the mutant fusion protein (Y723F) displays a pattern of subcellular localization identical to that of the wild-type fusion protein, although the mutant fusion protein is catalytically inactive. These results suggest that in addition to its role in DNA metabolism, topo I might also play a structural role in chromosomal organization; moreover, the association of topo I with chromosomal DNA is independent of its catalytic activity. Finally, the fusion constructs may provide a useful tool to study drug action in tumor cells, as demonstrated by nucleolar delocalization of the fusion proteins in response to treatment with the topo I inhibitor topotecan.
Chronic levodopa impairs the recovery of dopamine agonist-induced rotational behavior following neural grafting.

The effect of chronic levodopa treatment on the function of embryonic mesencephalic tissue grafts was assessed in rats by monitoring rotational behavior elicited by dopamine (DA) agonists before and after neural grafting. Rats were given unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway and baseline measures of rotational behavior induced by D1 receptor stimulation, D2 receptor stimulation, or amphetamine were determined. Subsequently, DA grafts were implanted into the lesioned striatum and chronic regimens of either saline or levodopa began one day after neural grafting and were continued for 7 weeks. Rotational behavior elicited by the D1 agonist, SKF 38393, was completely attenuated throughout the six week-period following the commencement of levodopa treatment, regardless of the absence or presence of a DA graft. Conversely, rotational behavior elicited by the D2 agonist, quinpirole, was significantly elevated in ungrafted animals receiving chronic levodopa. Grafted animals receiving chronic levodopa did not show a significant reduction in rotational behavior, whereas grafted animals receiving chronic saline showed a significant 67% reduction in quinpirole-induced rotational behavior. Amphetamine-induced rotational behavior was reduced in both levodopa and saline treated grafted animals, however grafted animals receiving chronic levodopa treatment showed a reduction of rotational behavior that was uncharacteristic and less compensatory than that observed in grafted animals receiving chronic saline treatment. Morphology of grafts indicate that there were areas of impaired neurite outgrowth of TH-positive fibers in animals treated with levodopa. The results of the present study suggest that the impaired recovery in quinpirole and amphetamine-induced rotational behavior in grafted animals receiving chronic levodopa treatment may be related to (1) impaired graft function, (2) an alteration in pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms in the host DAergic system, or (3) a combined effect of (1) and (2).
Comments on education in optics in different countries

As I listened to the excellent talks in this conference, especially in the session on "Education in Optics in Different Countries," and learned about the educational systems in the USSR, the United States, Japan, China, and other countries, I began to muse on the more general question: What are some of the more general characteristics of an educational system (indeed, of any system) that are important for the health and the development of that system, independent of its formal organizational structure? From these musings I would like to offer a few very general and impromptu thoughts in answer to that question.
Smoking cessation and the risk of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose: three-year outcomes after a quit attempt.

Weight gain after smoking cessation may increase diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) risk. This study evaluated associations between smoking cessation and continued smoking with incident diabetes and IFG three years after a quit attempt. The 1504 smokers (58% female) were mean (standard deviation) 44.7 (11.1) years old and smoked 21.4 (8.9) cigarettes/day. Of 914 participants with year 3 data, the 238 abstainers had greater weight gain, increase in waist circumference, and increase in fasting glucose levels than the 676 continuing smokers (p≤0.008). In univariate analyses, Year 3 abstinence was associated with incident diabetes (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.44–4.67, p = .002; 4.3% absolute excess) and IFG (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.74–3.41, p<0.0001; 15.6% absolute excess). In multivariate analyses, incident diabetes was associated independently with older age (p = 0.0002), higher baseline body weight (p = 0.021), weight gain (p = 0.023), baseline smoking rate (p = 0.008), baseline IFG (p<0.0001), and baseline hemoglobin A1C (all p<0.0001). Smoking more at baseline predicted incident diabetes among eventual abstainers (p<0.0001); weighing more at baseline predicted incident diabetes among continuing smokers (p = 0.0004). Quitting smoking is associated with increased diabetes and IFG risk. Independent risk factors include older age, baseline body weight, baseline glycemic status, and heavier pre-quit smoking. These findings may help target smokers for interventions to prevent dysglycemia.
κ-Opioid binding sites on a murine lymphoma cell line

As a first step in determining whether any subset of lymphocytes expresses opioid receptors, membranes prepared from mouse lymphoma cell lines were screened for [3H]naloxone binding sites. Membranes from the R1.1 cell line specifically bound [3H]naloxone. The Hill coefficient for [3H]naloxone binding was 0.93 +/- 0.18, and nonlinear regression analysis indicated that a one-site model was the best fit of the [3H[naloxone saturation binding data. Low concentrations of kappa-selective opioids, but neither mu nor delta opioids, inhibited [3H]naloxone binding. Saturation binding studies with the kappa-selective compound [3H]U69,593 revealed a single binding site with a KD value of 0.204 +/- 0.039 nM and a Bmax value of 31.7 +/- 3.1 fmol/mg of membrane protein. The Hill coefficient for [3H]U69,593 binding was 1.03 +/- 0.11, indicative of a single site. Time courses for the association and dissociation of [3H]U69,593 binding at 25 degrees C exhibited properties consistent with a single class of binding sites. Low concentrations of kappa-selective opioids, including dynorphin peptides, inhibited [3H]U69,593 binding, while high concentrations of mu opioids were needed to inhibit binding, and the delta-selective ligands were ineffective at concentrations up to 10 microM. Stereoselectivity of the binding site was demonstrated by the finding that the Ki value for (-)-pentazocine in inhibiting [3H]U69,593 binding was 25 times less than for the (+)-isomer. Based on its high affinity for U69,593, alpha-neo-endorphin, and dynorphin B, the kappa opioid binding site on R1.1 cell membranes belongs to the kappa 1b subtype. As observed with brain kappa opioid binding sites, sodium inhibited [3H]U69,593 binding to R1.1 cell membranes in a concentration-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that the murine lymphoma cell line R1.1 expresses kappa opioid binding sites that are very similar to brain kappa opioid binding sites.
Theory of continuous-wave beam propagation in nonlinear optical waveguides

The paraxial approximation is applied to calculate the propagation characteristics of cw beams possessing Gaussian spatial profiles in nonlinear optical waveguides. For powers below the critical power for self-focusing in a homogeneous medium, we find that the waveguide effect dominates, i.e., the beam becomes trapped and the spot size varies sinusoidally. Above the critical power, the propagation is dominated by nonlinearity; the beam becomes unstable and displays self-focusing analogous to that in a homogeneous medium. Mode mixing is defined in terms of the nonlinearity-induced mixing of the initially excited modes at the guide face, and explicit expressions are obtained for the mode mixing for special cases. This mixing vanishes only if the spot size is a constant, a condition that can be satisfied only for special values of the parameters in longitudinally homogeneous, lossless guides.
Relaxation Training Inhibits Fear and Arousal During In Vivo Exposure to Phobia-cue Stimuli:

Twenty carefully selected snake phobics were exposed to a caged snake for eight trials via a conveyor apparatus. During the first and eighth trials the subjects brought the snake toward themselves as closely as tolerable; records were kept of the end-of-trial distances remaining between the subject and the snake. For the six intervening trials the experimenter placed the snake a standard distance away; records were kept of the subjects' heart rates and skin-conductance levels before and during the exposures, and of their self-reported fear intensities after the exposures. Half of the subjects had received six sessions of progressive relaxation training before the exposures occurred. The results for subjects who had received relaxation training versus subjects who had not received relaxation training showed clearly that the training served to attenuate arousal and fear in the context of in vivo exposure. The results showed also that relaxation worked by lowering arousal throughout the course of exposure, not by hastening or facilitating arousal decrement during exposure. Some implications of the results are discussed.
Sorghum-sudan green manure; Its effect on nursery stock

The use of sorghum-sudan green manure has recently attained popularity among nurserymen because of the assumption that toxic excretions of these hybrids control root-rot fungi. Greenhouse trials of 2-year duration have revealed that green manure of sorghum-sudan inflicts severe damage of tree seedlings, largely by eradication of mycorrhiza-forming fungi. Early plowing under of green manure, periodic watering, and late fall seeding of nursery crop may alleviate phytotoxicity of the sorghum-sudan residues, but the biocidic properties of these plants defeat the primary purpose of using green manure in contemporary nurseries, namely the biodegradation of toxic compounds.
Synthesis of nano-phase TiO2 crystalline films over premixed stagnation flames

Abstract A new method is proposed to fabricate nanocrystalline titania (TiO 2 ) films of controlled crystalline size and film thickness. The method uses the laminar, premixed, stagnation flame approach, combining particle synthesis and film deposition in a single step. A rotating disc serves as a combination of substrate-holder and stagnation-surface that stabilizes the flame. Disc rotation repetitively passes the substrates over a thin-sheet, fuel-lean ethylene–oxygen–argon flame doped with titanium tetraisopropoxide. Convective cooling of the back side of the disc keeps the substrate well below the flame temperature, allowing thermophoretic forces to deposit a uniform film of particles that are nucleated and grown via the flame stabilized just below the surface. The particle film grows typically at ∼1 μm/s. The film is made of narrowly distributed, crystalline TiO 2 several nanometers in diameter and forms with a 90% porosity. Analysis shows that the rotation of the stagnation-surface does not reduce the stability of a stagnation flame, nor does it affect the fundamental chemistry of particle nucleation and growth that occurs between the flame and the stagnation surface.
Evidence for the low oxygen stoichiometry of cubic Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.5Fe0.5O3-δ from in-situ neutron diffraction

Abstract The structure and oxygen stoichiometry of Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 O 3-δ (BSCF) between 793 K and 1100 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 atm were determined by in-situ neutron diffraction. Additional analysis at room temperature was conducted by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. BSCF has the cubic perovskite structure, space group Pm 3 ¯ m , for all investigated temperatures. The oxygen stoichiometry ranged from 2.26 (2) at 1100 K to 2.36 (2) at 793 K. The formation of secondary phases during long equilibration periods is suggested to be responsible for the discrepancy between oxygen stoichiometry values determined by neutron diffraction and those determined by thermogravimetry for this class of materials.