cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to Make a Defined Near-Saturation Mutant Library. Case 1: Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

We have constructed a near-saturation level mutant library for Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 using Tn5-derived transposons mapped to the PAO1 reference sequence. This chapter describes the high-throughput techniques used to generate and map the mutant strains. In addition, an analysis of the utility of this collection is presented based on changes to the annotation for the PAO1 genome in the past years, as well as the citation record for this collection. It is clear that many avenues of research have been accelerated by this collection and that additional large mutant strain collections will further aid in defining gene function and biological processes in pathogens.
Clinical Analysis on Children with Functional Dyspepsia by Dialectical Treatments of TCM

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of using "Clearing-Heat and Nourishing-Qi Method"based Chinese traditional medicine soup to treat children patients with functional dyspepsia(FD).Method:238 cases of children patients with FD was randomly divided into the observe group with 178 cases and the control group with 60 cases.The observe group was treated with Chinese traditional medicine soup,and the control group was given Motilium(Domperidone).Children patients' symptoms include:abdominal pain,abdominal distension,eructation,anorexia and constipation were observed and clinically graded,as well as the measurement of two groups' children's gastric emptying rate at different times before and after the treatment.Results:The total effective rate of the observe group and the control group was 87.63% and 55%(P0.01),and both groups' gastric emptying rate after meals were dramatically increased(P0.05,P0.01).However,there was no obvious difference between the two groups(P0.01,P0.01).Conclusion:Comparing to the control group of taking Motilium orally,"Clearing-Heat and Nourishing-Qi Method"based Chinese traditional medicine soup is clinically more effective to children with functional dyspepsia,which also has less adverse reations.
From Marseille to Mecca: Reconciling the Secular and the Religious in Le grand voyage (The Big Trip) (2004)

By the early 1980’s, a generation of children of Maghrebi (North African) parents born and/or raised in France started to become more visible, particularly after they organized a march in 1983 from Marseille to Paris under the slogan “For Equality and against Racism.” This generation was introduced to the public as the “Beur generation.” The word ‘Beur,’ coined by this generation, is the result of a Parisian back slang and means ‘Arab.’ It quickly gained popularity and has been used to refer to children of Maghrebi origins living in France. As much as it has been hard for the Beurs to integrate the French society, they have also been rethinking their Maghrebi cultural heritage. In this paper, I analyse a film entitled Le grand voyage (2004) where a Maghrebi immigrant father ‘forces’ his son to drive him from Marseille to Mecca so that the father performs the Hajj (pilgrimage). I aim at exploring the different elements that separate and reconcile the father and his son along this long journey.
The German Invasion of Britain in 1872 and ‘What Became of the Invaders’

The general unease felt in Britain at German successes in the war with France manifested itself in the literary sphere in a number of ways. British authors, including George Eliot’s immediate circle, were among those most shocked by the events of 1870–1, with Eliot herself torn between those who favoured British intervention on the French side and those who believed ‘France had properly paid the price for Napoleon III’s arrogance’.1 Though Germany was by no means constructed absolutely as an enemy by British authors in this period, there was both consternation and ambivalent feeling in the literary world regarding the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War. The ageing Thomas Carlyle was perhaps unique in his unequivocal enthusiasm that noble, patient, deep, pious and solid Germany should be at length welded into a nation, and become Queen of the Continent, instead of vapouring, vain-glorious, gesticulating, quarrelsome, restless, and over-sensitive France.2 Other authors of this period were not so sure, and an important interpretation of the general mood can be found in one of the first major works of fiction completed after the conclusion of the Franco-German conflict.
CW EC-QCL based sensor for simultaneous HOD/H 2 O, N 2 O and CH 4 detection by multi-pass absorption spectroscopy

A sensor system based on a CW EC-QCL was demonstrated for simultaneous atmospheric HOD/H 2 O, N 2 O and CH 4 detection. A 57.6m multi-pass absorption cell was employed. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy was implemented for data processing.
Abstract B13: Reprogramming glioblastoma multiforme cells to neurons by protein kinase inhibitors

Reprogramming healthy somatic cells into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells with defined factors has been intensively investigated. However, reprogramming cancer cells has fallen much behind. Direct reversion of cancers into normal tissues is an ideal strategy for cancer treatment. Recent reports have showed that defined factors can induce reprogramming of cancer cells into iPS cells, supporting this notion. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans. Despite multimodal therapy, the outcome for patients with GBM is still poor, with a median survival of just 14.2 months. Therefore, developing novel therapeutic strategy is an emergent task. The tumor suppressor p53 is considered today the most important tumor suppressor protein in humans and it suppresses both reprogramming and oncogenic transformation. p53 inactivation or mutations are the most common in GBM, and this p53 deficient GBM subgroup is currently the most difficult to treat, typically associated with rapid local recurrence after treatment. p53 mutations result in loss-of-function, gain-of-function, and dominant-negative mutational effects for p53. Thus, different p53 mutants may have various effects on reprogramming, promoting or inhibiting GBM reprogramming. Furthermore, p53 activity is often inactivated in GBM with wild-type p53 that may also affect reprogramming. We have demonstrated that the depletion of p53 reprograms human somatic cells into neurons by regulation of a set of transcription factors (Nature Communications, 2014; Cell Reports, 2014, International Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2016). Integration-free reprogramming cancer cells would be safer and preferable for clinical use. Along those lines, we screened a protein kinase inhibitor library and found that the kinase inhibitors can substitute for all transcription factors and convert human p53-deficient GBM cells into “normal” neurons (functional neurons). In vitro and in vivo tumorigenesis assays showed that induced neurons lose tumorigenicity. Moreover, the inhibitor reprogramming prevents GBM local recurrence in mice. Currently these inhibitors are used as anti-tumor drugs in patients, so this reprogramming strategy has significant potential to move rapidly toward clinical trials. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Jie Yuan, Fan Zhang, Meng You, Qin Yang. Reprogramming glioblastoma multiforme cells to neurons by protein kinase inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Targeting the Vulnerabilities of Cancer; May 16-19, 2016; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B13.
The influence of race on SLP utilisation and costs among persons with aphasia

ABSTRACTBackground: Recent evidence suggests racial disparities exist in post-stroke conditions such as aphasia, yet the underlying cause of such disparities is unclear. Disparities in rehabilitation service utilisation have been previously proposed as a contributor to racial disparities in post-stroke outcomes.Aim: To examine racial differences in speech–language pathology (SLP) service utilisation and costs among persons with aphasia being treated in acute care hospitals in North Carolina.Methods & Procedures: The North Carolina Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from 2011 to 2012 were analysed to examine SLP service utilisation and costs for stroke patients with aphasia. Analyses included length of stay (LOS) and charges/costs of SLP services. Generalised linear models were constructed to determine the impact of demographic characteristics, stroke severity, residence, and hospital fixed effects (variability of hospital management practices) on SLP utilisation and costs.Outcomes & Results: App...
Divergent Spatiotemporal Interaction of Angiotensin Receptor Blocking Drugs with Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor.

Crystal structures of the human angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) complex with the antihypertensive agent ZD7155 (PDB id: 4YAY) and the blood pressure medication Benicar (PDB id: 4ZUD) showed that binding poses of both antagonists are similar. This finding implies that clinically used angiotensin receptor blocking (ARB) drugs may interact in a similar fashion. However, clinically observed differences in pharmacological and therapeutic efficacies of ARBs lead to the question of whether the dynamic interactions of AT1R with ARBs vary. To address this, we performed induced-fit docking (IFD) of eight clinically used ARBs to AT1R followed by 200 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The experimental Ki values for ARBs correlated remarkably well with calculated free energy with R2 = 0.95 and 0.70 for AT1R-ARB models generated respectively by IFD and MD simulation. The eight ARB–AT1R complexes share a common set of binding residues. In addition, MD simulation results validated by mutagenesis data discovered ...
High-Sensitivity Troponin I of Less Than 5 ng per L Has Negative Predictive Value of 99.9% for Cardiac Death at One Year.

A cardiac troponin I concentration of less than 5 ng per L in adults who present with potential acute coronary syndrome has a negative predictive value (NPV) of at least 99.9% for cardiac death at 30 days and at one year.
The Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial Data Monitoring Experience: Problem With Reporting Lags

The Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial (NOTT) was a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the role of continuous oxygen compared to only nocturnal use for patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The data monitoring committee for the NOTT had to consider issues of multiple outcomes, extension of patient recruitment, and problems with reporting lags in key outcome data. While statistical methods are very useful, they do not address all of the issues that must be considered. The data monitoring committee had to be alert to unanticipated problems and react accordingly.
A Review of Remote Sensing Data Formats for Earth System Observations

Earth observing remote sensing involves a variety of diverse instruments and platforms, ranging from hand-held close-range spectrometers to imagers and sounders on board satellites tens of thousands kilometers above the earth. The data format for a remote sensing mission is usually chosen based on a number of considerations, including requirements of the sensing system, mission objective, the design and technology of data processing, archiving, and distribution systems, as well as community data standard. Currently, earth observing data, or geospatial data, are stored in a wide variety of formats. For most end users, the inconsistencies in the formats of data obtained from different sources can cause problems, sometimes significant difficulties, in prompt and effective use of the data. It would be desirable if all data can be generated in one best format that is universally applicable for all systems, missions, and product levels. Such a “best format” is, however, not available and seems not likely to emerge due to the diverse nature of the earth system and the cultural differences between disciplines, not to mention the ever evolving computing and archiving technologies. Fortunately, there are some commonly used data formats which are considered as somewhat standardized formats in several communities. Knowledge in these common formats will help the use of data products stored in such formats and the analysis/processing software developed for such formats, and the development of tools to perform conversions among such formats. This chapter will review some of these data formats.
Developmental Issues and Intervention Strategies in a Community Mental Health Center in Greece

Community Psychiatry has been considered as an effective alternative to traditional mental hospitalization in the postwar era1. Community mental health services “provide a complete new range of care in the community, with strong emphasis on prevention”2 and as Foley3 points out “the impact of the Community Mental Health Center movements has been felt in all sectors of the psychiatric profession, both public and private”.
Editors’ Note Added in Proof: Stress Proteins: Heat-Shock Proteins/Molecular Chaperones

Investigations in the last few years led to the discovery of stress proteins and their catalytic roles in the folding of nascent proteins, as well as in the maintenance of/refolding native functional protein conformations in the face of stress-related insult. Insult to the cell environment activates a set of genes which express proteins that can repair stress-induced molecular damage to proteins and reestablish normal homeostasis. The standardizeh form of stress that has been used in studies with prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell cultures is exposure to unusually elevated temperatures (e.g., 42°C). This evokes a heat-shock response by inducing the dramatically enhanced expression of heat-shock-proteins (Hsp) to stabilize and reestablish partially denatured protein conformations. Under normal conditions Hsp’s are expressed at relatively low levels.
SPIKE: best practice generation for storage area networks

This paper presents SPIKE, an automated algorithm to generate best practices by analyzing Storage Area Network (SAN) configuration errors. Best practices are a useful tool in problem diagnosis as most configuration problems are caused by the violation of best practices in the storage network domain. However, the manual generation of best practices is tedious, error-prone and costly in terms of time and manpower. SPIKE uses a combination of information-retrieval principles, entity ranking and decision-tree classification to statistically infer the best practices for the prevention of SAN configuration problems. Preliminary results from an initial implementation of SPIKE indicate speed and accuracy improvements over manually generating best practices.
Fractionation of Peptides by Strong Cation-Exchange Liquid Chromatography

Chromatography in all its formats plays an important role in proteomics research. The search for protein biomarkers for different diseases has been an active area of research. The dynamic concentration range and the large number of proteins in a proteome require the development of multidimensional separation strategies to allow for the identification of the largest number of proteins. Strong cation-exchange chromatography (SCX) has been used extensively for the fractionation of proteins and peptides. This chapter provides a detailed description for the SCX fractionation of complex proteome samples.
Thermally induced flow instabilities in two phase mixtures

Two phase mixtures thermally induced flow oscillations, discussing scaling criteria, phase change numbers and stability boundaries
Prospective Evaluation of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and Conventional Imaging in Patients with Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer

652 Purpose: 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT is available at our institution in a research access program for disease localization in patients with biochemical recurrent prostate cancer (BCR PC). Here we present our experience using 18F- DCFPyL PET/CT in this clinical scenario and compare it to other available imaging modalities for disease detection and impact on patient management. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 50 participants (52-91 year old, 71.2 ± 7.4) who had 18F- DCFPyL PET/CT for BCR after definitive treatment with prostatectomy (30 patients) and/or radiation therapy (20 patients). A total of 33 patients had concurrent scans by at least one of the other imaging modalities available at our institution: CT (15 patients), MR (16 patients) and 18F-FluciclovinePET/CT (10 patients). Changes in management after 18F DCFPyLPET/CT were also recorded. Results: For anatomic imaging, 16/31 (52%) CT or MRI had congruent findings of BCR PC with 18F-DCFPyLPET/CT, while 18F-DCFPyLPET was positive in 14/31 (45%) cases with negative CT or MRI. When compared to 18F Fluciclovine PET, 4/10 (40%) 18F-DCFPyLPET had congruent BCR PC findings, while 5/10 (50%) patients had disease identified on 18F-DCFPyLPET despite negative 18F Fluciclovine PET; in 1/10 (10%) case, lesions seen on 18F Fluciclovine and 18F DCFPyL were incongruent (more lesions identified on 18F DCFPyL). In addition, the clinical management was changed by starting radiation therapy or androgen deprivation therapy based on 18F DCFPyL PET findings in 14/50 patients (28%) who had negative conventional imaging. Conclusion:18F DCFPyLPET/CT is a promising diagnostic tool in the work-up of patients with BCR PC as not only did it identify sites of recurrent disease but it also changed clinical management in 28% of participants with negative conventional imaging in this cohort.
Generic Characterisation of Aircraft—Parameter Reduction Process

The conceptual design parameters and design processes which are used to access the development of the generic stability and control method are identified and discussed in Sect. 4.4. Primarily, design related commonalties and peculiarities for the range of conventional and unconventional aircraft types are considered.
Modified-CI Model of Protein-induced Red Shifts of Reaction Center Pigment Spectra

The idea that its optical spectra are related to the structure of a photosynthetic pigment-protein complex first arose about two decades ago.1 The advent of structural models based on x-ray diffraction analysis2–4 greatly stimulated this field, and changed its nature. Initially the intent was to derive structural information from optical data. Now the major purpose is to elucidate details of pigment-pigment and pigment-protein interactions.
Basman Ben-Haim, Rivka. The Thirteenth Hour: Poems. Translated by Zelda Kahan Newman. Woodstock, NY: Mayapple Press, 2016.

Review of Basman Ben-Haim, Rivka. The Thirteenth Hour: Poems. Translated by Zelda Kahan Newman. Woodstock, NY: Mayapple Press, 2016.
The Alchian Maze

The Alchian Maze uses active learning for teaching important economic concepts like spontaneous order and the power of profit and loss. While the game is an effective teaching tool, it is also chea...
Overexpression of ferulate 5-hydroxylase increases syringyl units in Sorghum bicolor.

Ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H) of the monolignol pathway catalyzes the hydroxylation of coniferyl alcohol, coniferaldehyde and ferulic acid to produce 5-hydroxyconiferyl moieties, which lead to the formation of sinapic acid and syringyl (S) lignin monomers. In contrast, guaiacyl (G) lignin, the other major type of lignin monomer, is derived from polymerization of coniferyl alcohol. In this study, the effects of manipulating S-lignin biosynthesis in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) were evaluated. Overexpression of sorghum F5H (SbF5H), under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, increased both S-lignin levels and the ratio of S/G lignin, while plant growth and development remained relatively unaffected. Maule staining of stalk and leaf midrib sections from SbF5H overexpression lines indicated that the lignin composition was altered. Ectopic expression of SbF5H did not affect the gene expression of other monolignol pathway genes. In addition, brown midrib 12-ref (bmr12-ref), a nonsense mutation in the sorghum caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) was combined with 35S::SbF5H through cross-pollination to examine effects on lignin synthesis. The stover composition from bmr12 35S::SbF5H plants more closely resembled bmr12 stover than 35S::SbF5H or wild-type (WT) stover; S-lignin and total lignin concentrations were decreased relative to WT or 35S::SbF5H. Likewise, expression of upstream monolignol biosynthetic genes was increased in both bmr12 and bmr12 35S::SbF5H relative to WT or 35S::SbF5H. Overall, these results indicated that overexpression of SbF5H did not compensate for the loss of COMT activity. KEY MESSAGE: Overexpression of F5H in sorghum increases S-lignin without increasing total lignin content or affecting plant growth, but it cannot compensate for the loss of COMT activity in monolignol synthesis.
On-shell superamplitudes in $ \mathcal{N} < 4 $ SYM

We present an on-shell formalism for superamplitudes of pure $ \mathcal{N} < 4 $ super Yang-Mills theory. Two superfields, Φ and Φ†, are required to describe the two CPT conjugate supermultiplets. Simple truncation prescriptions allow us to derive explicit tree-level MHV and NMHV superamplitudes with $ \mathcal{N} $ -fold SUSY. Any $ \mathcal{N} = 0,1,2 $ tree superamplitudes have large-z falloffs under super-BCFW shifts, except under [Φ, Φ†〉-shifts. We show that this ‘bad’ shift is responsible for the bubble contributions to 1-loop amplitudes in $ \mathcal{N} = 0,1,2 $ SYM. We evaluate the MHV bubble coefficients in a manifestly supersymmetric form and demonstrate for the case of four external particles that the sum of bubble coefficients is equal to minus the tree superamplitude times the 1-loop beta-function coefficient. The connection to the beta-function is expected since only bubble integrals capture UV divergences; we discuss briefly how the minus sign arises from UV and IR divergences in dimensional regularization. Other applications of the on-shell formalism include a solution to the N K MHV $ \mathcal{N} = 1 $ SUSY Ward identities and a clear description of the connection between 6d superamplitudes and the 4d ones for both $ \mathcal{N} = 4 $ and $ \mathcal{N} = 2 $ SYM. We outline extensions to $ \mathcal{N} < 8 $ super-gravity.
A Bound on Radial Velocity and Observation Time in Interferometric Angular Velocity Measurement

Interferometric radars enable the direct measurement of the angular velocity of moving objects by estimating a frequency shift imparted as objects passing through the interferometer grating lobe pattern. Highly effective when implemented at millimeter-wave frequencies, angular velocity measurements manifest from the time-varying phase shift between widely separated antenna elements. When implemented with a direct-downconversion architecture, the hardware is greatly simplified, however the time-varying phase shift only manifests when a residual frequency shift is present on the scattered signals from radial motion of the targets. When this motion is negligible, the differential phase and thus the interferometric frequency shift fails to manifest. In this work we present a bound on radial velocity and integration time in interferometric radar measurements of angular velocity using direct downconversion architectures.
Effect of an emergency department intensive care unit on medical intensive unit admissions and care: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Objective Evaluate the impact of an emergency critical care center (EC3) on the admissions of critically ill patients to a critical care medicine unit (CCMU) and their outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective before/after cohort study in a tertiary university teaching hospital. To improve the care of critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED), a 9-bed EC3 was opened in the ED in February 2015. All critically ill patients in the emergency department must receive intensive support in EC3 before being considered for admission to the CCMU for further treatment. Patients from the emergency department account for a significant proportion of the patients admitted to the CCMU. The proportions of patients admitted to the CCMU from the ED were analyzed 1 year before and 1 year after the opening of the EC3. We also compared the admission data, demographic data, APACHE III scores and patient outcomes among patients admitted from ED to the CCMU in the year before and the year after the opening of the EC3. Result The establishment of the EC3 was associated with a decreased proportion of patients admitted to the CCMU from the ED (OR 0.73 95% CI 0.63–0.84, p Conclusion Following the opening of the EC3, the proportion of CCMU admissions from the ED decreased. The EC3 may be most effective at reducing the admission of lower-acuity patients with GI bleeding and possibly sepsis. The EC3 may be associated with improved survival in ED patients.
Clinical Impact of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Implementation in the Community.

Abstract Background Limited U.S. data exist regarding high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (cTn) implementation. Objectives This study sought to evaluate the impact of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cTnT) implementation. Methods Observational U.S. cohort study of emergency department (ED) patients undergoing measurement of cTnT during the transition from 4th (pre-implementation March 12, 2018, to September 11, 2018) to 5th generation (Gen) cTnT (post-implementation September 12, 2018, to March 11, 2019). Diagnoses were adjudicated following the Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI). Resources evaluated included length of stay, hospitalizations, and cardiac testing. Results In this study, 3,536 unique patients were evaluated, including 2,069 and 2,491 ED encounters pre- and post-implementation. Compared with 4th Gen cTnT, encounters with ≥1 cTnT >99th percentile increased using 5th Gen cTnT (15% vs. 47%; p Conclusions High-sensitivity cTnT implementation resulted in a marked increase in myocardial injury and MI, particularly in women and patients with type 2 MI. Despite this, except for angiography, overall resource use did not increase. Among those without cTnT increases, there were more ED discharges and fewer cardiac tests.
Biopolitically (un)caring: Sustaining bodies and shaping care in precarious environments

Gran part de la literatura antropologica sobre la cura ha abordat el tema com una practica etica que engloba l’empatia, la solidaritat i la capacitat de reconeixer l’altre com a digne d’atencio i compromis (Kleinman, 2009; Stevenson, 2014; Taylor, 2008; Aulino, 2016). Les relacions de cura son, en teoria, actes quotidians que sustenten els vincles socials, les persones socials i la reproduccio social (Buch, 2015; Zelizer, 2005; Hochschild, 2003). Pero en entorns socials desfavorits, on la cura es un recurs escas, podem continuar concebent-la com una practica moral que soste la vida social? A partir de vint-i-quatre mesos de recerca de camp en una institucio per a ancians abandonats a Lima, el Peru, aquest article explora les expectatives i comprensions multiples i a vegades contradictories que poden sorgir en relacio amb la prestacio de cures en un entorn de precarietat, mort social i menyspreu institucional. El meu argument es que, en aquesta institucio en concret, la cura s’ofereix de manera precaria, fins als limits de la seva capacitat i, fonamentalment, com una practica de control biopolitic dirigida als cossos i les vides dels ancians.
Syllabus of Hamid al-Ali

Detailed Program for the Seeker of Knowledge By: Hamid Abdullah al-Ali In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds and may his peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and his companions. To continue: This is a small thesis which can place in the hands of the student of religious knowledge, with blessings from God, a complete curriculum for learning how to seek knowledge of Sharia Studies based on the Salafi school of thought. I have provided this hastily, based on the desires of students from about nine years ago. It found, with God's grace, wide approval from students, and many of them have informed me that they have benefited from it. Then, when the first edition copies ran out, some students urged me to re-publish it with edits, additions, and re-structuring so that the program becomes more clear and easy in organization. So I did as they asked me, while seeking God's aid and relying on him. And here is the second edition in the hands of the students of Sharia, in its new format with its important additions. I provided this publication to the student with the purpose that the student may increase his knowledge by studying it and so that he might rise in the levels of Sharia Studies. Perhaps someone else is more knowledgeable than him, I might have not known this or have forgotten this, but I hope that what I have provided for the student can help him achieve his purpose and reach his goals. And this will happen for him if he keeps to righteousness and belief because they are the most important things, the light of this world. If a student loses them, then he will not be blessed in his work and God will only distance him.
The Stretched Exponential, The Vogel Law, and All That

The nature of relaxation in glassy materials is investigated via a defect transport model. Relaxation is assumed to occur when a mobile defect reaches a frozen-in region of the material. A many defect calculation leads to the ubiquitous stretched exponential law as a probability limit distribution for the relaxation. The time scale for this relaxation varies inversely with the concentration of uncorrelated defects. The fast disappearance of these defects with decreasing temperature leads to a Vogel-like law for the relaxation time scale.
Detection of Structural and Metabolic Changes of the Brain in Normal Aging and Dementia with Modern Imaging Techniques

The rapidly enlarging population of aged individuals adds particular importance to the evaluation of both normally aging brains and the causes of dementia. With improved prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, dementia has become the 4th most common cause of death in the United States. Over 120000 deaths are attributed to severe dementia each year. While 10% of those over 65 years have some form of mental impairment, involvement may be as high as 48% in those over the age of 85 years [29]. As the number of elderly Americans increases in the coming decades, an increase in the number of demented individuals, now totaling approximately 1 million, is expected. The health care burden created by this expansion will undoubtedly be substantial.
Parvoviral myocarditis in a 5-week-old Dachshund.

Objective To describe a case of myocarditis associated with naturally occurring canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2). Case Summary A 5-week-old male intact Dachshund dog presented for acute respiratory distress. Limited diagnostic tests prior to the dog experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest included a lateral thoracic radiograph, which indicated cardiomegaly and diffuse unstructured pulmonary infiltrate. Necropsy was performed and results identified a lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis with positive CPV-2 immunohistochemistry within the myocardium. Unique Information Provided This report describes the natural occurrence of CPV-2-associated myocarditis. In addition to highlighting this rare form of canine parvovirus, cardiomyopathy in survivors of the acute viral myocarditis phase is reviewed.
The Social Nature of Epistemically Normative Deliberation

INTRODUCTION: DEMOCRACY, DELIBERATION, AND EDUCATION Most basic to democratic deliberation is the notion that the political decisions pertaining to self-government derive legitimacy from the public deliberation of free and equal citizens. Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson offer one conception of the normative constraints that democratic deliberation imposes on public reasoning. Their leading principle is reciprocity, which is constituted by “the capacity to seek fair terms of social cooperation for their own sake.” As a principled political view, their form of deliberative democracy “asks citizens and officials to justify public policy by giving reasons that can be accepted by those who are bound by it.” In Gutmann and Thompson’s view, seeking “mutually justifiable reasons” is best suited to promotion of the democratic ideal of “civic equality.” Civic equality is “broadly understood to include freedom and opportunity for all individuals” and demands fairness with regard to claims that are both “shared with and pertain to us as members of the community.”
High-mobility pentacene organic thin film transistors

Organic thin film transistors (TFTs), are of interest for use in broad area electronic applications. In active matrix liquid crystal displays, AMLCDs, for example, organic TFTs would allow the use of inexpensive, light-weight, and mechanically rugged plastic substrates as an alternative to glass. To date, organic TFTs have exhibited field effect mobilities and current on/off ratios too low to be useful for display technology. For example, organic TFTs based on /spl alpha/-sexithienyl typically have a maximum mobility near 0.05 cm/sup 2//V-s and a maximum on/off ration of about 10/sup 6/. We have fabricated organic TFTs using pentacene, a fused-ring aromatic hydrocarbon, as the active material. These new devices have field-effect mobility greater than 0.6 cm/sup 2//V-s and on/off ratio greater than 10/sup 8/.
Chapter 20 Symptomatic therapy and palliative aspects of clinical care.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the diagnosis to patients, treating various symptoms, and discusses the timing and institution of palliative care in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is characterized by progressive upper motor neuron (UMN) and lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration that affect the brainstem, cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral myotomes. The symptoms depend on the distribution of the involved motor neurons. While ALS is a progressive and terminal illness in most cases, aggressive symptomatic therapies can have a positive impact on the illness, prolong life, and help maintain the quality of life. Currently, all of ALS care is palliative. The palliation at the very end of life, when death is near, is a time when specialist care is needed to avoid physical suffering. The transition to this phase is less marked if built on a foundation of continuous palliative care from the beginning. Around 60% of ALS patients die within 24 hours of deterioration in their clinical condition and some die suddenly. Advance directives can help prevent tracheostomy ventilation being instituted in a crisis, but the key to good care is an ongoing and open communication between the patient and health-care team. Anticipating symptoms before they occur is crucial to proper management. Medications, including opioids, sedatives, and anticholinergic agents, can be made available at home as respiratory capacity declines; hence, family members can, under the direction of the neurologist and hospice team, administer the drugs when symptoms develop.
Conservation and solar energy in residential and commercial buildings: The northern industrialized USA

Abstract This recently completed study discusses the potential of conservation and solar energy in Michigan. While much of the quantitative analysis is specific to Michigan, the problems and opportunities discussed are largely generic to the northern industrial states in the USA. Technical estimates of energy savings potential are combined with economic analyses and market penetration considerations to provide an overall picture of the potential for conservation and solar energy. Barriers to market penetration are used as a basis for identifying a wide range of economic, informational, and institutional policy options for consideration by government and private sector decisionmakers.
Montana Becomes Third U.S. State to Allow Physician Aid in Dying

In this report, Professor Knaplund discusses the Montana Supreme Court case of Baxter v. State of Montana (2009 MT 449), which ruled on the issue of a doctor's liability in a physician aid in dying (PAD) situation. In this case, the plaintiff was suffering from mutual symptoms related to his terminal lymphocytic leukemia and the chemotheraphy treatments he was receiving for it. Along with several other named plaintiffs, including board-certified physicians and the group Compassion and Choice, Mr. Baxter sued to have the state's homicide statute declared to of the constitutional rights of those who are dying to seek a physician's aid in achieving death.The Montana Supreme Court's ruling on this case was based on statutory, rather than constitutional grounds. Specifically, the court ruled that the consent of the patient to seek a physician's aid in dying does not violate public policy, and therefore could constitute a valid statutory defense to a homicide charge. The court examined PAD in light of Montana's Terminally Ill Act, holding that PAD, through the prescribing of a lethal dose of medication, does not violate the act's prohibition on euthanasia or mercy killing. This is because the statute itself preserves patients' rights to have their end-of-life wishes followed. The court emphasized in its holding a PAD defense is only valid for a Montana doctor who prescribes, but does not administer, a lethal dose of medication to a competent, terminally-ill person. After providing an explanation of the Baxter case, Professor Knaplund raises potential issues related to PAD statutes in nearby states, especially in situations when the lethal dose of medication is prescribed, filled, and ingested in different jurisdictions. She specifically discusses the Oregon Death With Dignity Act, as well as a related statute in Washington state. She also speculates as to possible refinements of the Montana statute, in accordance with the ruling in Baxter, that could be introduced by the Montana legislature to help further clarify the legal status of PAD, not only in Montana, but also in other states in which similar acts are permitted by law.
Steve the Bayesian

When I accepted the invitation to speak about Steve's Bayesian contributions in honor of his 70th birthday at JSM 2013, little did I realize what I was about to discover. Early in my career, when I...
An unblemished success : Galileo's sunspot argument in the dialogue

L'auteur revient ici sur les theories de Galilee concernant le mouvement de la Terre, dans lesquelles il oppose plusieurs explications emanant de Ptolemee et de Copernic. Apres avoir reactualiser les interpretations galileennes, l'auteur reprend les critiques etablies a l'encontre de son argumentation.
Phenetic affinities among earlyHomocrania from East and South Africa

Abstract A quantitative analysis that employs randomization methods and distance statistics has been undertaken in an attempt to further clarify the phenetic and taxonomic affinities of Plio-PleistoceneHomocrania from eastern and southern Africa. Modern reference samples ofHomo sapiens(n=44),Pan troglodytes(n=50) andGorilla gorilla(n=50), and threeParanthropuscrania were employed in an assessment of the differences among the earlyHomospecimens. Crania attributed toHomo habilis sensu lato(OH 24, KNM-ER 1470, KNM-ER 1813, Stw 53 and SK 847) are clearly distinct from those assigned toHomo ergasteror earlyHomo erectus(KNM-ER 3733 and KNM-WT 15000). The crania attributed toH. habilis sensu latoform three rather distinct phenetic clusters. An orthognathic reconstruction of KNM-ER 1470 is clearly differentiated from the other four specimens principally by virtue of its size, whereas significant shape differences exist between the smaller specimens from eastern Africa (OH 24 and KNM-ER 1813) and those from South Africa (SK 847 and Stw 53). The level of taxonomic differentiation between these three clusters is difficult to assess on the basis of the data employed here, but these results lend support to arguments that KNM-ER 1470 should be attributed to a different species from OH 24 and KNM-ER 1813, and to suggestions that the South African specimens may represent a species ofHomothat has not been sampled in eastern Africa. Furthermore, the present data indicate that gorillas do not comprise an appropriate group by which to gauge intraspecific cranial variability in earlyHomo.
Preliminary study of the application of synthetic vision for obstacle avoidance on highways

Understanding and characterizing the forward environment of a ground vehicle is a pivotal element in determining the appropriate maneuver-response strategy while under varied degrees of vehicle automation. Potential degrees of automation span the probable near-term adoption of longitudinal crash countermeasure warning devices all the way through the longer-term objective of full vehicle automation. Between these extremes lies partially automated longitudinal crash avoidance, a potentially rich area of application for synthetic vision. This paper addresses the application of synthetic vision to vehicle automation from a systems perspective: from development of a collision avoidance framework, to application of the appropriate sensor-environmental descriptions with which synthetic vision applications can address. Obstacle detection modules, the human cognitive component and the dynamics of automated ground vehicle control comprise elements of this framework. Areas to fulfill a structured program and suggested areas for further in-depth research are identified.
Body size, age at shaving initiation, and prostate cancer in a large, multiracial cohort.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between body size, self-reported age at initiation of shaving, and subsequent risk of prostate cancer in a large, racially diverse cohort of men followed for up to 32 years. METHODS The study population included 70,712 male subscribers to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who had received a multiphasic health checkup between 1964–1973. This general health checkup consisted of a number of laboratory tests and physical measurements, as well as a self-completed health questionnaire that included a request for men to record the age when they began shaving. Subjects were followed for the development of prostate cancer, using the local tumor registry. Cox regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Altogether, 2,079 men in the study cohort were diagnosed with prostate cancer. There was a very strong positive association between prostate cancer risk and birth cohort. After adjusting for race, age, and birth year, there was no association between height, weight, body mass index, or several other anthropometric measures and prostate cancer risk in the full cohort. There was a suggestion of a very weak positive association between height and prostate cancer risk among white men. There also was no overall association between age at shaving initiation and prostate cancer risk, although nonwhite men who started shaving at a young age (≤14 years) appeared to be at somewhat elevated risk (RR = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.01–2.22). Relative risks associated with anthropometry and age at shaving did not vary consistently by decade of life, age at health checkup, or stage of prostate cancer at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Results from our large, multiracial cohort study do not support a relationship between several measures of adult body size and prostate cancer risk. There was a suggestion of a weak association between height and age at shaving initiation and prostate cancer risk, but only among some racial subgroups. Prostate 43:136–143, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Relationship Between Large-Scale Atmospheric States, Subsidence, Static Stability and Ground-Level Ozone in Illinois, USA

We analyze ground level ozone pollution in Illinois. We find that during elevated ground level ozone conditions, Illinois is located to the south-west of a high pressure system centered over south-eastern Canada. This state causes weakening of the climatological westerlies, near-surface southerlies and upper troposphere northerlies. This results in corresponding weakening of both lower troposphere heating and upper troposphere cooling by lateral advective heat flux divergence. Heat balance is restored primarily by enhanced subsidence, most notably between the surface and ∼400 mb. The strengthened subsidence suppresses boundary layer deepening by upward surface heat fluxes, resulting in a shallower than normal boundary layer during times of elevated ground level ozone. We argue that subsidence induced boundary layer suppression, aided by elevated temperatures, is the primary cause of the elevated ground level ozone events. The enhanced subsidence during those times also dries the lower troposphere, reducing the probability of moist convection, and thus slowing boundary layer ventilation.
A design optimization methodology for Li+ batteries

Abstract Design optimization for functionally graded battery electrodes is shown to improve the usable energy capacity of Li batteries predicted by computational simulations and numerically optimizing the electrode porosities and particle radii. A multi-scale battery model which accounts for nonlinear transient transport processes, electrochemical reactions, and mechanical deformations is used to predict the usable energy storage capacity of the battery over a range of discharge rates. A multi-objective formulation of the design problem is introduced to maximize the usable capacity over a range of discharge rates while limiting the mechanical stresses. The optimization problem is solved via a gradient based optimization. A LiMn 2 O 4 cathode is simulated with a PEO–LiCF 3 SO 3 electrolyte and both a Li Foil (half cell) and LiC 6 anode. Studies were performed on both half and full cell configurations resulting in distinctly different optimal electrode designs. The numerical results show that the highest rate discharge drives the simulations and the optimal designs are dominated by Li + transport rates. The results also suggest that spatially varying electrode porosities and active particle sizes provides an efficient approach to improve the power-to-energy density of Li + batteries. For the half cell configuration, the optimal design improves the discharge capacity by 29% while for the full cell the discharge capacity was improved 61% relative to an initial design with a uniform electrode structure. Most of the improvement in capacity was due to the spatially varying porosity, with up to 5% of the gains attributed to the particle radii design variables.
SOMETHING TO OFFEND EVERYONE: TIPLER'S VISION OF IMMORTALITY

. Frank Tipler's The Physics of Immortality provides abundant cause for intellectual offense—including challenges to physics, to theology, and, seemingly, to common sense. Few philosophical conundrums remain unaddressed. Still, the book is stimulating and well presented.