cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Diagnosis of Marginal Zone Lymphoma Following Surgical Correction of Hallux Abductovalgus: A Case Report

Marginal zone lymphoma is a neoplasm affecting the lymphatic system, including the bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. This type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma affects B cells and is estimated to comprise between 5% and 17% of all non-Hodgkin's diseases. The incidence of finding any neoplasm within the foot and ankle has been estimated to be only 2.0% to 3.5% of all patients. However, despite the low incidence of cancer found within the foot and ankle, the clinician must be mindful that the possibility does exist and should thus consider surgically excised soft tissue and bone for pathological evaluation. A case report of marginal zone lymphoma, incidentally diagnosed through hallux valgus surgery, is presented. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4
Williams-Beuren Syndrome: Genes and Mechanisms

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS; OMIM 194050) is caused by heterozygous deletions of approximately 1.6 Mb of chromosomal sub-band 7q11.23. The deletions are rather uniform in size as they arise spontaneously by inter- or intrachromosomal crossover events within misaligned duplicated regions of high sequence identity that flank the typical deletion. This review will discuss the status of the molecular characterization of the deletion and flanking regions, the genes identified in the deletion region and their possible roles in generating the complex multi-system clinical phenotype.
Separation Techniques Based on the Opposition of Two Counteracting Forces to Produce a Dynamic Equilibrium

Useful compounds, whether produced by chemical synthesis or biological synthesis, often need to be purified from complex mixtures. Biochemists and chemists thus recognize the need for efficient new preparative purification techniques for product recovery. Such fractionation techniques must have high capacity and high resolution. In a novel group of separation methods suited to the preparative fractionation of proteins, antibiotics, and other classes of compounds, the chromatographic flow of a solute down the column is opposed by solute electrophoresis in the opposite direction. Useful separation is achieved when these two counteracting forces drive the solute to a unique equilibrium position within the separation chamber. The properties of chromatographic matrices, for example, gel-permeation matrices of various porosities, provide a means of establishing the unique equilibrium points. Extraordinary resolution and capacity are attainable by these methods.
Eye and head movements evoked by electrical stimulation of monkey superior colliculus

In unrestrained animals of many species, electrical stimulation at sites in the superior colliculus evokes motions of the head and eyes. Collicular stimulation in monkeys whose heads are rigidly fixed is known to elicit a saccade whose characteristics depend on the site stimulated and are largely independent of electrical stimulation parameters and initial eye position. This study examined what role the colliculus plays in the coding of head movements. A secondary aim was to demonstrate the effects of such electrical stimulation parameters as pulse frequency and intensity. Rhesus monkeys were free to move their heads in the horizontal plane; head and eye movements were monitored. As in previous studies, eye movements evoked by collicular stimulation were of short latency, repeatable, had a definite electrical threshold, and did not depend on the initial position of the eye in the orbit. By contrast, evoked head movements were extremely variable in size and latency, had no definite electrical threshold, and did depend on initial eye position. Thus when the eyes approached positions of extreme deviation, a head movement in the same direction became more likely. These results suggest that the superior colliculus does not directly code head movements in the monkey.
Collateral Attacks on Convictions (I): The Probability and Intensity of Filing

In the beginning of the 1970s the increased activity of filing collateral attacks on criminal convictions (postconviction petitions) made by prisoners in an effort to modify either the conviction or the sentence generated concern about the additional burdens imposed on the courts. This article is the first report of a study undertaken to quantify and analyze postconviction filings and their eventual disposition under various procedures, as reflected by the variety of procedures and degrees of accessibility to the courts in the states of Illinois, California, Texas, and Colorado. The present article describes and analyzes postconviction filing activity for these four states in terms of the probability of filing; the frequency of filing (the mean number of filings per filer and the number of filings per thousand prisoners); how long after incarceration filing took place; and patterns of filing over time. It is shown that contrary to widespread belief the notion that “every prisoner files” is not justified. The author concludes that the perceived high number of collateral attacks, not necessarily supported by the figures, stems from a large number of filings (except for Illinois) generated by a small proportion of prisoners. The author points out that modifications of the petitioning process can have a significant effect on the rate of filing and suggests changes in regulations that are likely to reduce the total number of petitions.
Management of Small Renal Masses in the Older Adult

Small renal masses in older adults are common and usually found incidentally. Although many small renal masses are benign, most are malignant. In older patients, the small renal mass poses a challenge because the treatment paradigm has to strike the balance between competing comorbidities and a lethal cancer. Partial nephrectomy, mainly via robot-assisted technique, has gained favor over radical nephrectomy as the intervention of choice. Cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation are also viable treatment options and have a role to play in patients who desire treatment but either are not suitable surgical candidates or prefer not to have a surgical intervention.
Picture book selection behaviors of emergent readers: Influence of genre, familiarity, and book attributes

Abstract Empirical studies with school‐aged children have led to assumptions that emergent readers do not have specific reading preferences or demonstrate patterns in their book selections. This study was designed to determine whether emergent readers demonstrate reading preferences based upon genre, familiarity and four other book attributes. Over a seven‐week period, 53 preschoolers and 49 kindergartners from two socioeconomic levels were given the opportunity each school day to select a picture book to take home from a set of 40 books with equal representation in five genres. Children's familiarity with the 40 picture books was assessed through a parent survey at the beginning of the study and teachers recorded the titles that were chosen by each child each day during the study. Children's book choices were analyzed by genre, familiarity and four book attributes. Findings demonstrated that emergent readers appear to demonstrate genre preferences (both ages preferred modern and traditional fantasy over ...
Attacking the One-Out-Of-m Multicore Problem by Combining Hardware Management with Mixed-Criticality Provisioning

The multicore revolution is having limited impact in safety-critical application domains. A key reason is the "one-out-of-m" problem: when validating real-time constraints on an m-core platform, excessive analysis pessimism can effectively negate the processing capacity of the additional m-1 cores so that only "one core's worth" of capacity is available. Two approaches have been investigated previously to address this problem: mixed-criticality allocation techniques, which provision less-critical software components less pessimistically, and hardware-management techniques, which make the underlying platform itself more predictable. A better way forward may be to combine both approaches, but to show this, fundamentally new criticality-cognizant hardware-management tradeoffs must be explored. Such tradeoffs are investigated herein in the context of a large-scale, overhead-aware schedulability study. This study was guided by extensive trace data obtained by executing benchmark tasks on a new variant of the MC^2 framework that supports configurable criticality-based hardware management. This study shows that the two approaches mentioned above can be much more effective when applied together instead of alone.
Emergencies, Body Parts and Price Gouging

The study of emergency has received much attention from political theorists. Relying on the realms of philosophy, theology and morality, these scholars have focused on whether acts of the sovereign in times of emergency should lie "inside" the law (i.e., be subject to scrutiny) or "outside" the law (i.e., enjoy some form of immunity). This article, on the other hand, utilizes economic theory to analyze emergencies. It argues that some emergencies are subject to the same laws of demand and supply and often do not mandate any intervention; while others may deserve a unique treatment (often within the law) that can be premised on simple rational behavior models. Specifically, this paper discusses two types of emergencies: private and public. The discussion of private emergencies focuses on decisions in which courts were asked to compel one to undergo a medical procedure to give an organ that would save the life of another. The article employs economic theory to reconcile the seemingly contradictory decisions. The article also investigates strategic behaviors, remedial reactions and under what conditions, if any, courts (or regulators) should intervene in organ transactions. The discussion of public emergencies focuses on price gouging. It reviews a number of anti-price gouging laws, the conditions that trigger them as well as the justifications for and against these laws. Using a number of examples, the article demonstrates how the so called "exorbitant prices" help decrease shortages, enable inflow and storage of essential commodities, allocate scarce resources, reduce strategic behavior and queues and stabilize demand. It argues that the assumption underlying anti-price gouging laws - that markets fail in times of emergency - is often erroneous.
Case 2: Fever and Irritability in a 15-year-old Boy With Autism

1. Christine Westfall, MD* 2. Charles J. Mullett, MD, PhD* 3. Linda S. Nield, MD* 1. *West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV. A 15-year-old boy with a history of autism presents with fever and irritability. He is hospitalized and ultimately diagnosed with a right-sided pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. He is intubated in the pediatric intensive care unit for respiratory failure. Throughout his stay, he requires multiple sedating medications, including fentanyl, midazolam, dexmedetomidine, lorazepam, and haloperidol. On day 14 of admission, he is extubated to bilevel positive airway pressure but continues to require sedating medications to improve compliance and maintain his safety. On day 15 of admission, following medication for escalating agitation, he suddenly becomes unresponsive. Physical examination reveals diaphoresis. His vital signs include a temperature of 38.9°C (102°F), heart rate of 180 beats/min, respiration rate of 30 breaths/min, blood pressure of 176/112 mm Hg, and oxygen saturation of 50%. He displays tonic-clonic seizure activity and subsequently becomes very rigid throughout his body. An emergent venous blood gas reveals: pH 7.18, carbon dioxide 51 mEq/L (51 mmol/L), oxygen 37 mEq/L (37 mmol/L), bicarbonate 16 mEq/L (16 mmol/L), and lactate 16.7 mg/dL (1.9 mmol/L). His airway is secured with jaw thrust and repositioning. He is placed on a non-rebreather and his oxygen saturations improve to normal. He is given 2 mg of lorazepam for the seizure activity …
NATURAL SELECTION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED PHENOTYPES IN TADPOLES.

Models suggest that phenotypic plasticity is maintained in situations where the optimal phenotype differs through time or space, so that selection acts in different directions in different environments. Some empirical work supports the general premise of this prediction because phenotypes induced by a particular environment sometimes perform better than other phenotypes when tested in that environment. We have extended these results by estimating the targets of selection in Pseudacris triseriata tadpoles in environments without predators and with larval Anax dragonflies. Tadpoles displayed significant behavioral and morphological plasticity when reared in the presence and absence of nonlethal dragonflies for 32 days in cattle tanks. We measured selection in the absence of free predators by regressing growth and survival in the tanks against activity and several measures of tail and body shape. We measured selection in the presence of predators by exposing groups of 10 tadpoles to Anax in overnight predation trials and regressing the average phenotype of survivors against the number of tadpoles killed. Selection in the two environments acted in opposite directions on both tail and body shape, although the affected fitness components were different. In the presence of Anax, tadpoles with shallow and narrow body, deep tail fin, and wide tail muscle survived best. In the absence of free predators, tadpoles with narrow tail muscle grew significantly faster, and those with shallow tail fin and deep body grew somewhat faster. Activity was unrelated to survival or growth in either environment. Developmental plasticity in tail shape closely paralleled selection, because tail fin depth increased after long-term exposure to Anax and tail muscle width tended to increase. In contrast, there was no plasticity in body shape in spite of strong selection for decreasing body depth. Thus, when confronted with a dragonfly predator, P. triseriata tadpoles adjusted their tail shape (but not body shape) almost exactly in the direction of selection imposed by Anax. These results suggest that phenotypic plasticity in some morphological traits, such as tail depth and tail muscle width, has evolved under intermittent selection by dragonflies. Other traits that undergo selection by dragonflies, such as body morphology, appear developmentally rigid, perhaps because of historically strong opposing selection in nature or other constraints.
Fabrication of Hydroxyapatite Ceramics by Microwave Processing

Various hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics were fabricated by microwave processing. By carefully selecting the starting material and controlling the processing conditions, regular HAp ceramics with density up to 97% of the theoretical density, porous HAp ceramics with porosity up to 76%, and fully densified transparent HAp ceramics were obtained by using a 2.45 GHz, 500W microwave oven. These ceramics were characterized for density, microstructure, strength, and phase composition, and the results were compared with the conventionally processed ceramics.
Comparison of cardiac action of bufalin, cinobufotalin, and telocinobufagin with cinobufagin.

SummaryThe cardiac activity of bufalin, cinobufotalin, telocinobufagin and cinobufagin has been compared. They all have a digitalis-like action. In etherized cats the order of activity from high to low is telecinobufagin > bufalin > cinobufotalin = cinobufagin.
Convective Heat Transfer for Single-Phase Gases in Microchannel Slip Flow: Analytical Solutions

Heat transfer in microchannels has gained more interest in the last decade due to developments in the aerospace, biomedical and electronics industries. It has been a critical issue since the performance of the devices is primarily determined by temperature. As the size decreases, more efficient ways of cooling are sought due to the reduction in the heat transfer area. Convection and conduction are the two major heat transfer mechanisms that have been investigated at microscale. Convective heat transfer in microchannels has been intensively analyzed by both experimental and analytical means. Conduction studies have focused mostly on thin films in recent years to address such questions as: How is the heat transferred? How does it differ from largescal ec onduction? As far as convective heat transfer is concerned, liquid and gaseous flows must be considered separately. Liquid flow has been investigated experimentally, whereas analytical, numerical and molecular simulation techniques have been applied to understand the characteristics of gaseous flow and heat transfer. While the Navier-Stokes equations can still be applied, due to the small size of microchannels, some deviations from the conventionally sized applications have been observed. Flow regime boundaries are significantly different, as well as flow and heat transfer characteristics. Gaseous flow has usually been investigated by theoretical means. Some experiments were also performed to verify the theoretical results. When gases are at low pressures, or are flowing in small geometries, the interaction of the gas molecules with the wall becomes as frequent as intermolecular collisions, which makes the boundaries and the molecular structure more effective on flow. This type of flow is known as rarefied gas flow. The Knudsen number (Kn) is used to represent the rarefaction effects. It is the ratio of the molecular mean free path to the characteristic dimension of the flow. For Knudsen numbers close to zero, flow is still assumed to be continuous. As the Knudsen number takes higher values, due to a higher molecular mean free path by reduced pressure or a smaller flow dimension, rarefaction effects become more significant and play an important role in determining the heat transfer coefficient. The commonly used slip boundary conditions are called Maxwellian boundary conditions [1]. Since they are first order in accuracy, an extended set of boundary conditions was proposed by [2], which can be used in early transition of the slip flow regime. To do so, the velocity and temperature gradients at the boundary are written in terms of the Taylor expansion of the gradients within the layer one mean free path away from the boundary (called the Knudsen Layer).
Historical Influences on Aging and Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter marshals some theoretical arguments on why one should pay attention to historical influences in studying the aging process of various psychological constructs as individuals develop from young adulthood to old age to the end of their lives, and lays out some of the principal concepts that require attention when studying such historical influences. Following this, it examines historical changes in some of the major societal structures that are particularly prominent in influencing and constraining adult psychological development. The most prominent of these structures is the influence of educational attainment and changes in access to educational opportunities. It also examines the influence of changes in occupational structure caused by the shift from an agricultural and manufacturing economy to one that is highly technologically and service-oriented. It also considers changes in healthcare and lifestyles that favorably impact level and change in optimal psychological functioning or compensate for declines that were common in earlier historical periods. Furthermore, it discusses the influence of historical changes in immigration patterns as they affect the composition of the adult population and hence modifies patterns of psychological aging in a given society and briefly mentions some other social interventions that have influenced the aging of psychological processes by major social interventions designed to reduce poverty in various specially targeted population segments. Finally, it summarizes the effects of changes in the historical influences and how they affect the psychological characteristics and rate of change in old age.
Heterologous Pathway Engineering

Heterologous pathways encompass both natural and artificial biosynthetic routes. Expression of a heterologous pathway expands the molecular diversity that can be realized by the host organism. The engineering efforts often benefit from a well-established technological platform of the host. This chapter discusses recent progress and key challenges in implementing heterologous pathways. Major topics include enzyme discovery for artificial pathway assembly, methods for studying and tuning the performance of a pathway, and examples of heterologous pathway engineering.
Real-Time Vision for Autonomous and Teleoperated Control of Unmanned Vehicles

This paper focuses on two related topics: a control system architecture that unifies autonomous and teleoperated control of unmanned vehicles, and examples of how real-time vision processing fits into this architecture. The NIST hierarchical real-time control system architecture and its application to unmanned vehicles is presented. The paper then discusses recent work at NIST in real-time vision for both teleoperated and autonomous vehicles. For teleoperated vehicles, we describe a system for video compression for low data rate remote vehicle driving. For autonomous vehicles, we describe passive range extraction from optical flow for applications such as target extraction and identification, vehicle driving, and terrain mapping. We also describe how each of these vision systems fits into the control system architecture.
Preferential solvation of a rhenium photocatalyst facilitates ultrafast intermolecular electron transfer

Equilibrium 2D IR spectroscopy was used to measure spectral diffusion of the photo-catalyst Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl in multiple TEOA/solvent mixtures. The spectral diffusion was slowest at the 20%/80% TEOA/solvent (v/v) ratio, indicating occurrence of preferential solvation.
Prediction and causation of litter market traits from preweaning and weaning characteristics in commercial meat rabbits

Market data on 1,315 rabbits from 201 litters from Californian (CAL), New Zealand White (NZW), CAL X NZW and NZW X CAL dams bred to CAL, NZW and Flemish Giant sires were subjected to multiple regression and path analyses. Market traits observed in litters at 56 d included average kit weight (A56W), litter size (LS56), total litter weight (L56W) and within-litter uniformity in individual weights (LCV). Preweaning variables as covariates included in the model were dam metabolic body weight (DMW), litter born (LSB), litter birth weight (LBW), milk yield from 1 to 21 d (MY) and feed intake from 1 to 28 d of the dam and litter (FI). Results from multiple regression analyses indicated linear and quadratic effects (P less than .20) due to LSB and MY for all four market characters. The LBW influenced (P less than .05) LS56 and L56W, and FI affected (P less than .05) LS56, L56W and LCV. Separate analyses were conducted involving 28-d weaning and feed intake variables as covariates: litter size weaned (LSW), litter weaning weight (LWW) and litter feed intake from 28 to 56 d (LFI). The three weaning covariates were important (P less than .05) for all market traits except LS56 (LWW was not significant). The most accurate regression equations were obtained from the weaning model for prediction of L56W and LS56 (R2 = .68 and .78). Path analyses revealed that preweaning covariates generally had direct rather than indirect effects on market traits. Both direct and indirect effects of weaning covariates were important for market traits. Results suggest that litter market traits of size and weight can be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
Let Us Entertain You

Entertainment industries propel technologies that engage our seven senses and blur the barriers of work and play.
Intolerance of uncertainty in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has often been studied in the context of internalizing disorders, but no studies to our knowledge have explored the relation between IU and externalizing disorders. Given the proposed link between IU and emotion regulation, the current study sought to examine levels of IU in an externalizing clinical population with known emotion regulation difficulties-attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). IU levels in this population were compared to a clinical population known to experience elevated levels of IU. Participants in present study were ninety-three children (36 anxiety disorder, 28 ADHD, 29 unaffected children) ages 7-13, who completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short Version (IUS). Responses on the IUS were converted to total IU, prospective IU, and inhibitory IU. A linear mixed model analysis of covariance was conducted while controlling for age, sex, and ADHD medications. A significant interaction was observed between diagnostic status and IU scale. Planned contrasts indicated that children with anxiety disorders and ADHD reported significantly higher levels of IU relative to unaffected children, and children with ADHD reported comparable levels of inhibitory IU relative to children with anxiety disorders. The current results contribute to a growing literature on the link between IU and psychopathology. IU appears to be a transdiagnostic construct present among children with internalizing and externalizing disorders, and may be broadly associated with emotion regulation deficits rather than specific disorder symptoms.
Competitive release from native range does not predict invasive success of a globally dominant exotic ant species

A major goal of invasion biology is to understand under what conditions exotic species thrive in the introduced range. High competitive abilities are thought to be an important characteristic of exotic species. Most invasion studies focus on the competitive ability of exotic species in the introduced range and attribute their ecological success to competitive release, but fewer studies have compared the relative competitive differences within the native range. These comparative studies are important in order to determine if competitive abilities of exotic species are strong predictors of invasion success. The little fire ant Wasmmnia auropunctata is a highly invasive species that has spread from its original range (Central and South America) to becoming a globally distributed exotic species in recent decades. It is generally accepted that island ecosystems offer weak biotic resistance to exotic species as compared to their native range. Here, we examined this empirically by comparing the relative competitive difference of W. auropunctata and locally dominant ants, between its native range of Mexico and introduced range of Puerto Rico. Resource competition was assessed between W. auropunctata and native ants under field conditions and in the laboratory. Furthermore, we compared resource competition at different temporal intervals ranging from short-term (< 2 hours) to long-term (14-days) dynamics. Our results are in contrast to common invasion predictions on island communities because we show that native species were resistant to W. auropunctata in its introduced range of Puerto Rico. We observed that the ground-foraging ant Solenopsis invicta competitive displaced W. auropunctata in Puerto Rico during short-term experiments. Meanwhile, the native arboreal ant Linepithema iniquum withstood competitive pressure from W. auropunctata. In the native range of Mexico, W. auropunctata was superior against Solenopsis Picea and Pheidole protensa species, but was outcompeted by dominant ants Solenopsis geminata and Pheidole synanthropica. This study challenges the relative importance of competitive ability in predicting invasion success. This is one of the few detailed comparative studies that examines exotic species performance between native and introduced habitats.
Gene Synthesis — Toward a Future World

Several recent advances in molecular biology have led to dramatic progress in genetic engineering. Among these are the development of useful plasmid vectors, the characterization and usage of restriction endonucleases, and the elucidation of methods for sequencing and synthesizing DNA. A discussion of these developments and the use of these methods for synthesizing, cloning and expressing an immune interferon gene will be presented.
Impingement Cooling Using a Variable-Diameter Synthetic Jet

Synthetic jets produce a time-averaged jet flow using oscillating flow through an orifice. These devices use the same working fluid as the ambient, and when miniaturized they can reduce the cooling system volume for electronics. Most synthetic jets use a constant-diameter orifice, but previous experiments with a contracting diameter demonstrated a significant increase in the momentum flow rate. Because of this benefit, we investigated the effectiveness of a variable-diameter synthetic jet for impingement cooling. We used a centimeter-scale device driven by a piston operating in phase with a closing iris, each moving simultaneously at 4 Hz. Then, we mounted a resistive heater of similar size to an impingement plate, which was positioned at various distances from the exit of the synthetic jet. We measured the heater temperatures and power dissipation for distances ranging from 0.5 to 10 jet diameters, and considered both fixed-diameter and variable-diameter operations. For jet distances from 1 to 3 diameters away, heat transfer was enhanced by 4 to 8 times that of natural convection, with the variable-diameter enhancement approximately 35% greater than the constant diameter.
Radical intellect: Liberator magazine and Black activism in the 1960s

For historians of the black freedom struggle, the decade of the 1960s just keeps giving and giving. Some 13 years after the publication of Jacquelyn Dowd Hall’s article in the Journal of American H...
The Added Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Cisternography and Ventriculography as a Diagnostic Aid in Pediatric Hydrocephalus.

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the "gold standard" method for the evaluation of hydrocephalus. However, diagnosing an obstruction in the ventricular or subarachnoid spaces may pose a challenge for standard diagnostic sequences. In this study, we describe our experience with MRI cisternography (MRIC) or ventriculography (MRIV) for diagnosing or excluding intra- and extraventricular obstructions. Such a differentiation may have a significant impact on choosing the optimal surgical solution. Methods We retrospectively collected data on patients undergoing MRIC/MRIV for diagnosing or excluding obstructions in patients with ventriculomegaly. All patients had MRI suggesting an obstruction, but without a clear cause. Results Five children aged 1-17 years were included (3 females). Four underwent an MRIV, and 1 underwent an MRIC. Three children presented with headaches and had a suspected prior endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) failure, and 2 presented with macrocephalus and increasing head circumferences. MRIV showed a patent ETV stoma in 2 cases, one of which had a T2 SPACE MRI showing no flow void through the stoma, and a closed stoma in 1 case with a flow void above and below the stoma on T2 SPACE MRI. MRIV and MRIC differentiated between two cases with panventriculomegaly, one of which had an obstruction at the level of the Liliequist membrane, and another with no identifiable obstruction. Conclusions MRIC and MRIV have a complementary role to MRI in assessing selected patients with hydrocephalus suspected of being secondary to an obstruction, but with no clear obstruction location.
End-to-End Concolic Testing for Hardware/Software Co-Validation

Many recent approaches have been proposed to improve the quality of Systems-on-Chips (SoC), mainly focusing on a specific part of the SoC, e.g., device driver, hardware, firmware, etc. System-level validation of the entire SoC stack remains a major challenge, and so far research on end-to-end validation of SoC that covers both hardware and software (HW/SW) components is comparatively sparse. In this paper, we propose an approach to end-to-end concolic testing for HW/SW co-validation of SoC. Based on the simulation of SoC with multiple virtual platforms, we capture a set of run-time traces from different components of the entire SoC, and assemble them into holistic system-level traces. We also provide instrumentation interfaces over the SoC trace for custom validation and analysis, allowing insertions of user-defined assertions and symbolic values at various HW/SW interfaces. The instrumented trace is replayed in a concolic/symbolic engine to generate new system-level test cases that either explore new paths of the SoC stack or trigger assertions. We emulated a complete SoC stack based on several open-source projects, from which we demonstrated that our approach can generate effective system-level test cases which crosscut the entire HW/SW stack of SoC and pinpoint an IP firmware buggy path from the user inputs to the host SW, and can catch various bugs with user-defined assertions including two bugs of QEMU's E1000 Virtual Device.
90 YEARS OF PROGESTERONE: Progesterone and progesterone receptors in breast cancer: past, present, future

Progesterone and progesterone receptors (PR) have a storied albeit controversial history in breast cancers. As endocrine therapies for breast cancer progressed through the twentieth century from oophorectomy to antiestrogens, it was recognized in the 1970s that the presence of estrogen receptors (ER) alone could not efficiently predict treatment responses. PR, an estrogen regulated protein, became the first prognostic and predictive marker of response to endocrine therapies. It remains today as the gold standard for predicting the existence of functional, targetable ER in breast malignancies. PRs were subsequently identified as highly structured transcription factors that regulate diverse physiological processes in breast cancer cells. In the early 2000s, the somewhat surprising finding that prolonged use of synthetic progestin-containing menopausal hormone therapies was associated with increased breast cancer incidence raised new questions about the role of PR in 'tumorigenesis'. Most recently, PR have been linked to expansion of cancer stem cells that are postulated to be the principal cells reactivated in occult or dormant disease. Other studies establish PR as dominant modulators of ER activity. Together, these findings mark PR as bona fide targets for progestin or antiprogestin therapies, yet their diverse actions have confounded that use. Here we summarize the early history of PR in breast cancer; debunk the theory that progesterone causes cancer; discuss recent discoveries that PR regulate cell heterogeneity; attempt to unify theories describing PR as either good or bad actors in tumors; and discuss emerging areas of research that may help explain this enigmatic hormone and receptor.
Understanding the meaning of emoji in mobile social payments: Exploring the use of mobile payments as hedonic versus utilitarian through skin tone modified emoji usage

Despite research establishing emojis as sites of critical racial discourse, there is a paucity of literature examining their importance in the increasingly popular context of mobile payments. This ...
Thyroid sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia in conjunction with parotid basal cell adenoma: Cytologic, histologic, and molecular features.

Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia (SMECE) is a rare malignancy in the thyroid: only 56 cases with histologic descriptions are reported in the literature and fewer reports describe the cytomorphology. Given the rarity of SMECE, data on the cytomorphologic and molecular features are limited. We report a case of a 53-year-old woman with a 5 cm left thyroid mass. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) revealed atypia of undetermined significance and pathology of left thyroid lobectomy specimen showed SMECE. Additionally, a left pre-auricular lump was noted and FNA followed by left superficial parotidectomy showed basal cell adenoma. Next-generation sequencing showed point mutations in NTRK3 and NF1. Unlike salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma, MAML2 translocations are not present in SMECE. Even though it is a rare entity, awareness of SMECE of the thyroid is important. In this case report we review the cytomorphologic, histologic, and molecular features.
Temporally Auto-Correlated Predator Attacks Structure Ecological Communities

For species regulated by a common predator, the P * rule predicts that the prey species that supports the highest mean predator density (P *) excludes the other prey species. This prediction is reexamined in the presence of temporal fluctuations in the vital rates of the interacting species including predator attack rates. When the fluctuations in predator attack rates are temporally uncorrelated, the P * rule still holds even when the other vital rates are temporally auto-correlated. However, when temporal auto-correlations in attack rates are positive but not too strongly, the prey species can coexist due to the emergence of a positive covariance between predator density and prey vulnerability. This coexistence mechanism is similar to the storage effect for species regulated by a common resource. Strongly positive or negative auto-correlations in attack rates generate a negative covariance between predator density and prey vulnerability and a stochastic priority effect can emerge: with non-zero probability either prey species is excluded. These results highlight how temporally auto-correlated species interaction rates impact the structure and dynamics of ecological communities.
Implementation of a Regional Virtual Tumor Board: A Prospective Study Evaluating Feasibility and Provider Acceptance

Background: Tumor board (TB) conferences facilitate multidisciplinary cancer care and are associated with overall improved outcomes. Because of shortages of the oncology workforce and limited access to TB conferences, multidisciplinary care is not available at every institution. This pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptance of using telemedicine to implement a virtual TB (VTB) program within a regional healthcare network. Materials and Methods: The VTB program was implemented through videoconference technology and electronic medical records between the Houston (TX) Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) (referral center) and the New Orleans (LA) VAMC (referring center). Feasibility was assessed as the proportion of completed VTB encounters, rate of technological failures/mishaps, and presentation duration. Validated surveys for confidence and satisfaction were administered to 36 TB participants to assess acceptance (1–5 point Likert scale). Secondary outcomes included preliminary data on VTB utilization and its effectiveness in providing access to quality cancer care within the region. Results: Ninety TB case presentations occurred during the study period, of which 14 (15%) were VTB cases. Although one VTB encounter had a technical mishap during presentation, all scheduled encounters were completed (100% completion rate). Case presentations took longer for VTB than for regular TB cases (p=0.0004). However, VTB was highly accepted with mean scores for satisfaction and confidence of 4.6. Utilization rate of VTB was 75%, and its effectiveness was equivalent to that observed for non-VTB cases. Conclusions: Implementation of VTB is feasible and highly accepted by its participants. Future studies should focus on widespread implementation and validating the effectiveness of this model.
Endothelin-converting enzyme 2 differentially regulates opioid receptor activity

Background and Purpose Opioid receptor function is modulated by post-activation events such as receptor endocytosis, recycling and/or degradation. While it is generally understood that the peptide ligand gets co-endocytosed with the receptor, relatively few studies have investigated the role of the endocytosed peptide and peptide processing enzymes in regulating receptor function. In this study, we focused on endothelin-converting enzyme 2 (ECE2), a member of the neprilysin family of metallopeptidases that exhibits an acidic pH optimum, localizes to an intracellular compartment and selectively processes neuropeptides including opioid peptides in vitro, and examined its role in modulating μ receptor recycling and resensitization. Experimental Approach The effect of ECE2 inhibition on hydrolysis of the endocytosed peptide was examined using thin-layer chromatography and on μ opioid receptor trafficking using either elisa or microscopy. The effect of ECE2 inhibition on receptor signalling was measured using a cAMP assay and, in vivo, on antinociception induced by intrathecally administered opioids by the tail-flick assay. Key Results The highly selective ECE2 inhibitor, S136492, significantly impaired μ receptor recycling and signalling by only those ligands that are ECE2 substrates and this was seen both in heterologous cells and in cells endogenously co-expressing μ receptors with ECE2. We also found that ECE2 inhibition attenuated antinociception mediated only by opioid peptides that are ECE2 substrates. Conclusions and Implications These results suggest that ECE2, by selectively processing endogenous opioid peptides in the endocytic compartment, plays a role in modulating opioid receptor activity. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2
Managerial and economic barriers and incentives to the commercialization of solar energy technologies

Abstract This paper considers the emerging solar industry with emphasis on the active solar systems industry. Active solar systems use thermal collectors, pumps, storage devices and associated equipment to provide hot water and space-heating. Solar systems can provide an important portion of the nation's energy in the future. However, diffusion of these technologies will require several years or decades depending upon the innovation characteristics of the systems. The innovation characteristics of active solar systems are measured, in part, by economic measures, reliability, and communicability of the qualities of the system among others. The active solar systems industry is characterized as emerging, struggling, underfinanced and diverse. A questionnaire and interview survey of 97 solar industry firms was accomplished. Based on the survey results it is recommended that while the government continue incentive tax credits, the industry develop itself as a strong, high-quality industry through the emergence of industry leaders dependent upon improved manufacturing process innovation.
Terminal proliferation in the partially deafferented dentate gyrus: Time coureses for the appearance and removal of degeneration and the replacement of lost terminals

The time courese for the appearance and removal of degenerating terminals and the loss and reappearance of intact terminals were investigated in the partially denervated inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus of the adult rat. Dense degeneration was evident in the neuropil within 26 hours following contralateral hippocampectomy. These profiles increased rapidly in number until the maximal degree was reached at two to tree days postlesion, after which the degenerating terminals were quickly removed from the neuropil. A more rapid rate of removal occurred during the 3- to 5- day survival period than from 6 to 50 days postlesion. The intact terminal population dropped by 35% within two days of the lesion and remained at this level until six to eight days postlesion when the number began to steadily increase. The time course for this reappearance cat be divided into two phases: a period of rapid terminal addition from 6 to 15 days followed by a phase of slower acquisition. This recovery continued until the normal synaptic density was regained by 50 to 65 days postlesion. These results indicate that a substantial proportion of degenerating endings are removed well in advance of the time at which terminal proliferation begins, suggesting that certain changes other than merely the removal of competitive inputs must take place prior to the gowth of new terminals. Possible explanations suggested by the present results for the delay in the onset of sprouting in clude: (1) an absence of appropriate postsynaptic targes during the 2- to 5- day postlesion period and (2) inhibition of axonal growth by the glial cells which are phagocytizing the degenerating products. Beyond the sixth postlesion day the rate at which new terminals appear does correlate with the rate at which degeneration is removed. This suggests that once underway the time course for sprouting may be determined by the availability of postsynaptic sites.
Study of line edge roughness using continuous wavelet transform for 65-nm node

This paper introduces the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) techniques to characterize spatial frequencies of LER. A 890 nm length of line pattern was dissected with 448 measured-points along line-edge from the image of scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the dissection of measurement points is around 2 nm. The measured data of line-edge roughness (LER) were transformed to spatial power spectrum with commercial software packages of wavelet transform, and the characterization of spatial frequency correlated to lithographic process parameters, such as the soft-bake (SB) temperature, the numerical aperture (NA), the temperature of post-exposure baking (PEB), and the molecular weight of resist (MW) were investigated. The higher NA and lower SB give a significant improvement from low spatial frequency (long range LER) to higher one (short range LER). However, both the higher temperature of PEB and lower MW improve edge roughness only on long range order roughness (lower spatial frequency).
REPRODUCIBILITY OF HEART TO MEDIASTINUM RATIO ON 123IODINE-META-IODOBENZYLGUANIDINE (123I-MIBG) MYOCARDIAL SCINTIGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

Although 123Iodine- meta-iodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy provides important prognostic information in heart failure (HF) patients, widespread clinical implementation is hampered due to lack of validation and standardization. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess
QCD corrections to t --> W+ + b

The {ital O}({alpha}{sub {ital s}}) QCD corrections to the process {ital t}{r arrow}{ital W}{sup +}{ital b} are calculated in the standard model for a heavy top quark. For {ital m}{sub {ital W}}/{ital M}{sub {ital t}}{lt}0.8, the corrections reduce the partial width by 10% relative to the tree-level result. This reduction of the top-quark width enhances the signal for {ital t{bar t}} bound-state resonances near threshold in {ital e}{sup +}{ital e{minus}} collisions, studied recently by Strassler and Peskin.
Supermarket branch banks and traditional banks: An evaluation of differences in employees' attitudes regarding product offerings, job satisfaction and turnover

Traditionally, banking was an activity conducted primarily in an environment in which employees were housed in a central location. In this environment, the bank culture was relatively stable and well-known to customers and employees alike. Further, both the public and the market knew the bank's financial service offerings. The advent of the supermarket branch bank has created challenges for both employees and managers. Many employees are no longer under the direct supervision of bank management. The culture of the branch bank may be vague, and with this change in culture and in supervision, problems with consistency and quality of banking services may exist. Additionally, banks may experience challenges in terms of job satisfaction, turnover and perceptions of product offerings at the supermarket branch bank and at the traditional brick-and-mortar bank. This research evaluates these environmental changes in terms of their impact on the employees' perceptions of customer attitudes regarding branch and brick-and-mortar bank offerings. This research also assesses the employees' perceptions of job satisfaction and turnover at branch versus traditional banks.