cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of Malignant Disease and Biologic Response Modifiers: Fact, Fiction, and Future Concerns

Commentary Biologic therapies representan increasinglycommontreatmentmodality for themanagementofsystemic immune-mediatedandinflammatory disease processes. Data fromEuropean andUS registries reported theuseofbiologic responsemodifiers (BRMs) in25%to56% ofpatientswithrheumatoidarthritis (RA).1Recently,concernhasbeen raised regarding the possible increased risk ofmalignant disease associatedwiththeuseofBRMs,particularly lymphomasandnonmelanomaskincancersgiven theirmechanismsofaction.AsnotedbyLopez-Olivo et al, multiple observational studies and meta-analyses focusedonsingleBRMsora subsetof treatmentshaveprovided limRisk ofMalignancies in PatientsWith Rheumatoid Arthritis TreatedWith Biologic Therapy: AMeta-analysis Lopez-Olivo MA, Tayar JH, Martinez-Lopez JA, et al.
Reciprocal subsidies in ponds: does leaf input increase frog biomass export?

Reciprocal subsidies occur when ecosystems are paired, both importing and exporting resources to each other. The input of subsidies increases reciprocal subsidy export, but it is unclear how this changes with other important factors, such as ambient resources. We provide a conceptual framework for reciprocal subsidies and empirical data testing this framework using a pond–forest system in Missouri, USA. Our experiment used in situ pond mesocosms and three species of anurans: wood frogs, American toads, and southern leopard frogs. We predicted that increases in ambient resources (primary productivity) and detrital subsidy input (deciduous tree leaves) into pond mesocosms would increase reciprocal export (frog biomass) to the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem. In contrast, we found that increases in primary productivity consistently decreased frog biomass, except with leaf litter inputs. With leaf inputs, primary productivity did not affect the export of frogs, indicating that leaf detritus and associated microbial communities may be more important than algae for frog production. We found that subsidy inputs tended to increase reciprocal exports, and thus partial concordance with our conceptual framework.
Characterization of oxygen-deficient perovskites as oxide-ion electrolytes

Abstract Oxide-ion conduction in oxygen-deficient perovskites is analogous in several respects to that in oxygen-deficient fluorite structures. We report here an important difference: oxygen-deficient AMO3−y perovskites containing M cations that are unstable in less than sixfold anion coordination may, at modest temperatures, capture oxygen and/or water from air to fill, at least partially, the oxygen vacancies. The insertion of water introduces mobile protons; the insertion of oxygen oxidizes the oxide-ion array in the presence of fully oxidized main group cations. We illustrate this insertion with the perovskite system BaZr1−xInxO3−0.5x, M=Zr or Hf. The data suggest that any ordering of the oxygen vacancies so as to give planes of corner-shared MO4 tetrahedra permits facile insertion of water and/or oxygen. In contrast, the oxygen-deficient fluorite structure has each cation in at least sixfold oxide-ion coordination, and the problem of water or oxygen insertion at modest temperatures does not arise.
Synthesis and spectroscopic and structural characterization of the monomeric diborylphosphine and diphosphinoborane compounds PhP(BMes2)2 and MesB(PPh2)2 (Mes=2,4,6-Me3C6H2)

The synthesis and spectroscopic and first x-ray structural characterization of a diborylphosphine, PhP(BMes/sub 2/)/sub 2/ (1), and a diphosphinoborane, MesB(PPh/sub 2/)/sub 2/ (2), are described. The structure of 1 has a planar core that involves the phosphorus and two boron atoms and also the five substituent carbons. In addition, the B-P bond lengths are shortened, which suggests a close structural analogy between 1 and the allyl cation. In the case of 2, although the boron remains planar, both phosphorus centers are pyramidal with slightly longer B-P bonds than in 1. Both 1 and 2 are the first examples of their respective classes of compound to be well characterized. Crystal data with Mo K..cap alpha.. radiation (lambda = 0.71069 /angstrom/) at 130 K are as follows. 1: a = 14.302 (4) /angstrom/, b = 15.701 (3) /angstrom/, c = 16.601 (6) /angstrom/, ..beta.. = 109.61 (2)/degrees/; monoclinic, space group C2/c, Z = 4, R = 0.059. 2: a = 7.815 (2) /angstrom/, b = 8.723 (2) /angstrom/, c = 40.147 (10) /angstrom/, ..beta.. = 94.90 (2)/degrees/; monoclinic, space group P2/sub 1//n, Z = 4, R = 0.041. A listing of available /sup 11/B and /sup 31/P NMR data on compounds involvingmore » triply connected boron and phosphorus centers is also provided and discussed in the context of the data for 1 and 2. 25 references, 2 figures, 4 tables.« less
Cl- Permeabilities in Red Blood Cells and Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Cystic Fibrosis and Control Subjects

Cl - Permeabilities in Red Blood Cells and Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Cystic Fibrosis and Control Subjects
Solute transport via alternating-direction collocation using the modified method of characteristics

Abstract We present a finite-element collocation method for modeling underground solute transport in two space dimensions when advection is dominant. The scheme uses a modified method of characteristics to approximate advective terms, thereby reducing the temporal truncation error and allowing accurate transport of solute by the velocity field. In conjunction with this approach, we employ an alternating-direction algorithm to yield a highly parallelizable algorithm for solving two-dimensional problems as sequences of simpler problems having one-dimensional matrix structure.
Time- and temperature-dependent wetting behavior of eutectic SnPb on Cu leadframes plated with Pd/Ni and Au/Pd/Ni thin films

We have studied the wetting behaviors of eutectic SnPb solder on Cu leadframes plated with Pd/Ni and Au/Pd/Ni thin films. For the Pd/Ni, we used two thicknesses of Pd of 760 and 2500 A to study the thicknesses effect. For the Au/Pd/Ni, we used either immersion Au (50 A) or acid Au (50 A) flashed on 1000 A Pd to study the effect and method of adding Au to the Pd surface. In addition, we investigated the wetting on a PdSn3 compound surface made by plating Sn or eutectic SnPb on Pd/Ni samples and then stripping the Sn or SnPb layer off. In all these samples, we found the wetting behavior to be time and temperature dependent. No stable wetting angles could be observed; the diameter of the solder caps increased with wetting time. Yet rather surprisingly, the diameter decreased with increasing wetting temperature from 200 °C to 240 °C. The largest cap diameter was observed at the lower temperature of 200 °C for Pd/Ni and stripped Pd/Ni, but at the intermediate temperature of 220 °C for Au/Pd/Ni. The smallest cap diameter was obtained at the higher temperature of 240 °C for all substrates. In examining the interfaces, we found the reaction products to be a ternary Pd–Ni–Sn compound and Ni3Sn4 for all substrates. The ternary compound grains were broken off from the interface, and scattered into the molten solder as soon as the Ni3Sn4 was formed. The latter forms a rather uniform layer consisting of small scallop-type grains on the unreacted Ni. We found that the growth rate of Ni3Sn4 is much slower, by a factor of about 10, than that of Cu6Sn5 in the reaction between Cu and eutectic SnPb.
Two functional states of poly(adenylic acid) polymerase in isolated nuclei

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that poly(A) polymerase exists as “bound” and “free” forms localized in the chromatin and nuclear supernatant (sap) fractions, respectively (Jacob, S.T., Roe, F.J. and Rose, K.M. (1976) Biochem. J. 153, 733). This article describes the characteristics of the two poly(A)-synthesizing activities obtained from rat hepatic nuclei. The product synthesized by the chromatin-bound enzyme was shown to be poly(A) covalently attached to the endogenous RNA, presumably the heterogeneous nuclear RNA, whereas the product of the free enzyme in the nuclear supernatant was covalently bound to the 3′-terminus of added polynucleotide. The chromatin-bound and free poly(A) polymerases exhibited different reaction characteristics including primer preference, optimal Mn 2+ Mg 2+ activity ratios and sensitivity to cordycepin 5′-triphosphate. Poly(A) polymerase could be released from chromatin by a variety of methods. The enzyme thus released was indistinguishable from the free poly(A) polymerase with respect to divalent metal ion and primer requirements, and its response to inhibition by the ATP analogue. These data imply that the bound and free poly(A) polymerases are not intrinsically different, but rather represent the same enzyme species in two different functional states. These studies also suggest that the chromatin-associated enzyme is involved in the initial polyadenylation of heterogeneous nuclear RNA whereas the free enzyme is primarily involved in the extension of poly(A) tracts.
Homeschool: An American History

The Family State, 1600-1776 * The Family Nation: 1776-1860 * The Eclipse of the Fireside, 1865-1930 * Why Homeschooling Happened, 1945-1990 * Three Homeschooling Pioneers * The Changing of the Guard, 1983-1998 * Making it Legal * Homeschooling and the Return of Domestic Education, 1998-2008
Investigations of a minimally invasive method for treatment of spinal malignancies with LINAC stereotactic radiation therapy: accuracy and animal studies.

Purpose: A new method for stereotactic irradiation of spinal malignancies is presented, with evaluations of the theoretic and practical limitations of localization accuracy and the implementation of the method in swine. Methods and Materials: In a percutaneous procedure, a minimum of three small (1.7-mm-diameter) titanium markers are permanently affixed to a vertebra. Markers are localized on biplanar radiographs while isocenter positions are determined on CT. An external fiducial frame defines a three-dimensional coordinate system through the patient. Radiographs coupled with a rigid body rotation algorithm account for daily differences in patient position. Phantom studies were used to verify theoretic uncertainty calculations from a simulation program. A swine model was used to evaluate the difficulty and duration of the implant technique, the suitability of the vertebral process as an implant site, vertebral motion due to normal respiration, and the ability to target one vertebra with markers in an adjacent vertebra. Results: Theoretic accuracy studies confirmed that localization accuracy is a function of marker separation. Phantom studies involving 296 measurements showed that individual implants could be localized within 0.25 mm. The largest targeting error observed in 3,600 measurements of 100 implant configurations was 1.17 mm. The implant procedure took 5‐10 minutes per site. No significant migration of implants was observed up to 35 days postimplantation, and respiratory motion had no detectable influence on vertebral position. Adjacent vertebrae may be useful for targeting one another with a small sacrifice in localization accuracy. Conclusions: The use of implanted markers for localization of spinal malignancies has potential for applications in stereotactic radiotherapy. Phantom measurements suggest that localization accuracy similar to intracranial stereotactic radiotherapy techniques is achievable. Swine studies suggest that the implant technique is expedient and feasible for tumor targeting purposes. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.
Graphic Biostratigraphic Correlation Using Genetic Algorithms

The most generally used method for estimating the basin-wide sequence and scaling of first and last occurrences, based on their occurrence in local sections, is Shaw’s graphic correlation method. The key step in this method is the determination of the line of correlation (LOC), which represents the best estimate of the correlation between two local sections, or between a local section and a composite standard. In general, available techniques for fitting the LOC for multiple sections are tedious, subjective, or computationally expensive. A new method employing genetic algorithms can dramatically reduce the effort involved in determining the LOC and produces stable biostratigraphic correlations and composite range charts objectively and efficiently. Genetic algorithms are an artificial intelligence technique that excels in locating the optimum solution from a large number of alternative choices. In the case of the LOC, the alternative choices are the number of line segments comprising the complete line and the positions of each segment’s beginning and end points. For a given number of segments, a wide range of alternative LOCs can be rapidly evaluated and a potential optimum fit determined. It is also possible to estimate the point when no further refinement of the fit by adding line segments is necessary. Genetic algorithms can also be applied to other methods for quantitative biostratigraphy.
Central Place Populations: Some Implications of Consumer Shopping Behavior

This paper examines the relationships that exist between consumer shopping behavior and the population sizes of central places. The discussion begins by establishing the production characteristics for bundles in a Christaller-type system. Then a multipurpose shopping model of the neoclassical variety is developed. This allows specification of trips generated and quantities demanded at any location in the system. Consumer demand for bundles is next aggregated according to the system's geometry, and population size is identified by setting supply (production) equal to aggregate demand for each bundle. Two results are numerically indicated. First, multipurpose shopping behavior creates intralevel variability in central place sizes. Second, a shift from single-purpose behavior to multipurpose behavior generates population declines in small places and population increases in large places.
The Influence of FSH and FSH + LH on Steroidogenic Enzymes in the Immature Mouse Ovary

Most evidence indicates that FSH alone does not stimulate estrogen biosynthesis in immature ovaries in spite of increased follicular growth. We studied the influence of FSH free of biological LH activity compared with the same dose of FSH supplemented by LH on the intermediate steps of steroid biosynthesis in the immature mouse ovary. The steroidogenic profile in the immature ovary revealed very active hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases, moderately active Δ4-reductases and low activities of mixed function oxidases. The Δ4-rather than the Δ5-pathway was shown to be the predominant route of androgen formation from pregnenolone, and Δ4-androstenedione was preferred to testosterone as androgen precursor of aromatization to estrogens. FSH acted primarily as a stimulator of general growth: it largely induced increases in enzyme activities in proportion to the general increase in protein and the protein per mg tissue did not increase. FSH † LH caused marked differential increases in cholesterol side-chain splitting, ...
The role of cymoxanil and famoxadone in the management of bacterial spot on tomato and pepper and bacterial leaf spot on lettuce

Abstract Cymoxanil and famoxadone, the components of Tanos 50DF® (25% a.i. of each product, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE) were evaluated alone, together, and in combination with copper hydroxide and/or mancozeb for the control of bacterial spot on tomato and pepper, and bacterial leaf spot on lettuce. Neither Tanos nor its components alone had in vitro inhibitory activity against the copper-insensitive and copper-sensitive species of Xanthomonas evaluated. However, there was a synergistic interaction between copper hydroxide and Tanos in reducing the growth of a copper-resistant strain of Xanthomonas perforans. It appears that both components of Tanos are required for synergism since the addition of only cymoxanil or famoxadone to copper hydroxide did not induce significant reduction of bacterial populations in comparison to copper hydroxide alone. Increased disease control was not obtained on plants in greenhouse trials. In most of the greenhouse trials, the mixture of copper hydroxide and mancozeb combined with Tanos tended to induce similar level of disease control in comparison to different mixtures containing copper hydroxide, cymoxanil and famoxadone indicating that mancozeb might not be necessary in the management of copper-tolerant strains of Xanthomonads.
Comparative roentgenographic and histologic study of human mandibles

Abstract Five lower jaws were studied and analyzed by comparing roentgenograms and histologic preparations. In all instances it was found that the roentgenograms confirmed the histologic aspect in every detail. If standardized methods of roentgenographic technique are employed, differences in the general shade of the images of jawbone tissue are primarily due to individual differences in density of ossification and combined thickness of the cortical plates. The number of bone trabeculae between the cortical plates and alveolar bone is not only dependent on the functional requirements which the jawbone has to meet, but also on the many general systemic conditions which affect bone metabolism, and control the laws of bone resorption and apposition. The jaw structures are by no means of a stabile nature, and as the trabeculae are a storehouse of important minerals upon which the body may draw in time of need, it must be emphasized that morphologic changes may occur rapidly at any time. They do so, however, in a characteristic manner, and knowledge of these changes from the standpoint of roentgenographic interpretation becomes an extremely important asset in dental practice.
Sprue and coeliac disease in Tropical Africa

Summary 1. Two cases of coeliac disease are described, one in a European and the other in an African child. 2. Three cases of (incomplete) sprue are described in adult Europeans. 3. It is possible that sprue is a not infrequent disease in Africa. 4. It is suggested that kwashiorkor (infantile pellagra) may not be a nutritional disorder, but may be due primarily to acute live failure. A steatorrhoea may occur in kwashiorkor.
The man who knew infinity: a life of the genius Ramanujan

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The mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus in rats—I. Forebrain gabaergic innervation

The aim of this study was to determine whether forebrain neurons projecting to the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus in rats express glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA as a marker for GABAergic neurons. Forebrain glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA-containing neurons that project to the mediodorsal nucleus were identified using a combination of retrograde tracing with Fluoro-Gold and in situ hybridization for the messenger RNA encoding the 67,000 molecular weight synthetic enzyme for GABA. Glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA-containing afferents to the mediodorsal nucleus were observed in the olfactory tubercle, vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca, ventral pallidum, sublenticular substantia innominata, globus pallidus, lateral preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and reticular nucleus of the thalamus. The largest proportions of glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA-containing afferents to the mediodorsal nucleus were observed in the vertical limb of the diagonal band, ventral pallidal parts of the olfactory tubercle and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus. Somewhat fewer glutamate decarboxylase messenger RNA-containing, retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the subcommissural ventral pallidum and sublenticular substantia innominata. These data suggest that a GABAergic projection from the basal forebrain to the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus can influence the function of this nucleus.
Density-dependent responses of soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) populations to generalist predators in mid to late season soybean fields

Abstract Since the arrival of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, to the U.S. in 2000, year to year abundances have varied substantially. Although, field studies have suggested that several resident generalist predators have the ability to suppress A. glycines populations, factors responsible for its population dynamics remain unclear. For natural enemies to regulate herbivore populations, predation rates must increase as prey population densities increase (i.e., density dependence). Experiments were conducted in 2004–2006 to assess the ability of the existing natural enemy community to exert density-dependent effects on A. glycines populations. Aphid densities were manipulated on individual plants (transplanted to the field) or in small plots to contain a range of aphid densities from low (10 per plant) to high (>1000 per plant). Populations were then monitored weekly. Caged controls were included to measure population growth in the absence of predators. In 2006, an additional treatment was included to quantify the proportion of aphids emigrating from plants. In all experiments, a strong density-dependent decline in population abundance was observed as aphid populations on plants with low initial densities ( 100 aphids per plant) decreased by as much as two orders of magnitude over a 1–2 week period. We estimate that fewer than 5% of aphids emigrated from plants when aphid densities were below 4000 per plant. This suggests that the extreme declines in aphid populations over these brief experiments were not due to aphids leaving plants, but rather, due to an aggregative response of predators to high density prey populations. Given the rapidity and degree of density-dependent population decline in three consecutive years of study, we suggest the resident community of natural enemies in Midwestern soybean may have great potential to regulate soybean aphid populations.
The usability of the concept of “prejudice”

For the purpose of determining whether the trait concept of “prejudice” is usable in the communication of meaning, representative samples of the responses of 101 ninth-grade children were submitted to a diverse group of 20 judges who were requested to rank 11 series of the responses in accordance with the amount of prejudice they were judged to exhibit. The usability, or use-value, of the concept is conceived as the extent to which the judges can agree in their ratings and is expressed in terms of the average intercorrelation of such ratings. It is shown that a null hypothesis of no use-value ( $$\tilde \gamma = 0$$ ) is untenable. The data further suggest that the concept of “prejudice” tends to have its highest use-value in situations where the factor of prejudice is commonly considered to be a matter of serious social concern.
A Comparison of Small-Mammal Communities in a Desert Riparian Floodplain

We compared small-mammal communities between inactive floodplain and actively flooded terraces of riparian habitat in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. We used species diversity, abundance, weight of adult males, number of juveniles, number of reproductively active individuals, longevity, residency status, and patterns of microhabitat use to compare the two communities. Although abundances of small mammals tended to be higher in the active floodplain, species diversity was greater in the inactive floodplain. Results were inconsistent with our initial prediction that actively flooded riparian habitat acts as a species source, whereas inactive floodplain acts as a sink or dispersal site for small mammals. Within each habitat type, we found evidence of significant microhabitat separation among the three most abundant small-mammal species ( Peromyscus boylii, P. eremicus , and Neotoma albigula ). Percent cover by annual and perennial grasses and shrubs, substrate, and frequency of shrubs, trees, and debris were significant determinants of small-mammal distribution within a habitat type. We found that the three most abundant species selected a nonrandom subset of available habitat. Nonrandom use of habitat and microhabitat separation were the two most important mechanisms structuring small-mammal communities in riparian habitat of central Arizona.
A pilot study of combined immunotherapy with autologous adoptive tumour-specific T-cell transfer, vaccination with CD40-activated malignant B cells and interleukin 2

Most B-cell malignancies are incurable diseases and therefore warrant new therapeutic approaches. In a pilot study, we tested the feasibility and safety of combined immunotherapy consisting of adoptive transfer of autologous tumour-specific T cells, low-dose interleukin 2 (IL-2) and a cellular vaccine of CD40-activated plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) cells in a patient who failed tandem repeat stem cell transplantation and idiotype vaccination. Autologous tumour-specific T cells for adoptive T-cell transfer were propagated in vitro by repetitive stimulation with autologous ex vivo CD40-activated PCL cells. CD40-activated PCL cells for vaccination were similarly generated ex vivo by co-culture with CD40 ligand transfectants. Autologous T cells (5 × 108 and 2·5 × 109 for two separate treatment cycles) generated ex vivo and cytotoxic against autologous tumours were infused and well tolerated by the patient. Fever and myalgias were closely related to IL-2 injections and no other adverse effects were observed. A temporary decrease of PCL cells in peripheral blood was seen after the first cycle of adoptive T-cell therapy, tumour cell vaccination and low-dose IL-2. Tumour progression was associated with tumour cells that (1) expressed a complex karyotype, (2) demonstrated loss of MHC class II, and (3) did not induce autologous tumour-specific T-cell lines ex vivo. We demonstrated the safety and feasibility in combining autologous tumour-specific T-cell therapy with low-dose IL-2 and that clinical trials based on the use of CD40-activated autologous tumour cell vaccines are warranted in patients with CD40-activated autologous tumour cells, either as a vaccine or for ex vivo stimulation of autologous T cells.
Anomalous diffusion in a running sandpile model.

To explore the character of underlying transport in a sandpile, we have followed the motion of tracer particles. Moments of the distribution function of the particle positions, {l_angle}{vert_bar}x(t){minus}x(0){vert_bar}{sup n}{r_angle}=D{sub 0}t{sup n{nu}(n)}, are determined as a function of the elapsed time. The numerical results show that the transport mechanism for distances less than the sandpile length is superdiffusive with an exponent {nu}(n) close to 0.75, for n{lt}1. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Safety and efficacy of neonatal vaccination.

Newborns have an immature immune system that renders them at high risk for infection while simultaneously reducing responses to most vaccines, thereby posing challenges in protecting this vulnerable population. Nevertheless, certain vaccines, such as Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) and Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV), do demonstrate safety and some efficacy at birth, providing proof of principal that certain antigen-adjuvant combinations are able to elicit protective neonatal responses. Moreover, birth is a major point of healthcare contact globally meaning that effective neonatal vaccines achieve high population penetration. Given the potentially significant benefit of vaccinating at birth, availability of a broader range of more effective neonatal vaccines is an unmet medical need and a public health priority. This review focuses on safety and efficacy of neonatal vaccination in humans as well as recent research employing novel approaches to enhance the efficacy of neonatal vaccination.
Case tool for ODBMS design of the functional description of the battlespace

The paper summarizes the role of a commercial CASE (computer aided system engineering) tool in the design of the Functional Description of the Battlespace (FDB). The CASE tool product was selected based on specific requirements of the project. It was used as the medium to contain and document the design in a language independent form. Products created included diagrams, reports, and schema definitions for both object oriented database management systems (ODBMS) and relational database management systems (RDBMS). Experience with the CASE tool demonstrated many benefits as well as some drawbacks to using such a tool.
Episodic Logic: A comprehensive, natural representation for language understanding

A new comprehensive framework for narrative understanding has been developed. Its centerpiece is a new situational logic calledEpisodic Logic (EL), a knowledge and semantic representation well-adapted to the interpretive and inferential needs of general NLU. The most distinctive features of EL is its natural language-like expressiveness. It allows for generalized quantifiers, lambda abstraction, sentence and predicate modifiers, sentence and predicate reification, intensional predicates (corresponding to wanting, believing, making, etc.), unreliable generalizations, and perhaps most importantly, explicit situational variables (denoting episodes, events, states of affairs, etc.) linked to arbitrary formulas that describe them. These allow episodes to be explicitly related in terms of part-whole, temporal and causal relations. Episodic logical form is easily computed from surface syntax and lends itself to effective inference.
Computer-generated time lines for visualizing and editing epidemiological and biomedical data

Most biomedical data have a temporal dimension. Time-line displays spatialize this dimension and help the viewer comprehend large sets of complex data. If we add ways for users to selectively expand the details of data visible on a time line, even more information can be organized and accessed. Design issues for this kind of display include: how to display time scales that are often wider than the physical display space; how to display events with brief duration; how to display data for two or more events that overlap in time; how to manage the display of data details; how to allow database editing from a time line; and how to facilitate time-based analytical techniques. We describe a time-line display system that addresses each of these issues, and show how it can be used to organize data for an epidemiological study of parental radiation exposure and childhood leukemia. We also suggest further refinements of the time line technique for other biomedical applications.
A modern day paradox: service versus education.

The article on service versus education by Galvin and Buys1 in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education highlights a fundamental dilemma in graduate medical education: the balance between service and education. The authors found that learners attribute different levels of educational value to similar activities despite a marked overlap between the characteristics of service and education. The lack of clear distinctions between service and education, combined with a negative connotation attributed to the term service, may be detrimental to any educational process in residency and should not be ignored. Because perception is reality, learners who are exposed to a certain activity may not actually learn if they believe there is nothing to be gained. In short, negative messaging about service by peers and supervisors may prevent learners from fully benefiting from educational activities despite its intentions.2 As we look toward the Next Accreditation System to emphasize individual differences in learners,3 we should also examine the service versus education debate. Kolb4 and others have shown that learners vary in their preferred learning style. A learner who thrives with repetition and practice will likely have a different perception of multiple opportunities to perfect a single skill as compared to a learner who prefers exploration and discovery. These differences may also vary by level of learner. For instance, a novice learner may find direct supervision and hands-on teaching environments supportive while a more advanced learner considers the same environment overbearing and stifling. Thus, the exact same activity may prove to be educational to one learner and not to another because it serves one learner's needs while another learner, having already mastered the skill, will view that same experience as service lacking educational value. In a sense, the problem of service versus education is the modern day equivalent of the paradox of the 1-room schoolhouse: How do we teach learners of varying skill levels and with varying needs simultaneously? Such a paradox can only be solved by the understanding that the learning process has 3 components, not 1: the experience, the learner's needs, and the teaching style or method. The experience alone cannot define its educational value without understanding its relationship to the individual learner. One solution to this paradox lies in emphasizing skills in problem-based learning and improvement. Whereas novice learners may require supervisors to create learning objectives for each activity, advanced learners only require mentors to guide them in recognizing their own needs and creating their own learning plans. Teaching these skills would require a shift away from designing curricula based on topics and subjects and toward creating experiences where learners can choose their own objectives.
Confronting the Variability Issues Affecting the Performance of Next-Generation SRAM Design to Optimize and Predict the Speed and Yield

Effectively confronting device and circuit parameter variations to maintain or improve the design of high performance and energy efficient systems while satisfying historical standards for reliability and lower costs is increasingly challenging with the scaling of technology. In this paper, we develop methods for robust and resilient six-transistor-cell static random access memory (6T-SRAM) designs that mitigate the effects of device and circuit parameter variations. Our interdisciplinary effort involves: 1) using our own recently developed VAR-TX model [1] to illustrate the impact of interdie (also known as die-to-die, D2D) and intradie (also know as within-die, WID) process and operation variations—namely threshold voltage ( Vth ), gate length ( L ), and supply voltage ( Vdd )—on future different 16-nm architectures and 2) using modified versions of other well-received models to illustrate the impact of variability due to temperature, negative bias temperature instability, aging, and so forth, on existing and next-generation technology nodes. Our goal in combining modeling techniques is to help minimize all major types of variability and to consequently predict and optimize speed and yield for the next generation 6T-SRAMs.
Comment on: Determining Sample Size When Searching for Rare Items

Reliability and safety engineers must frequently search for rare items, often as part of a compliance sampling program intended to assure a good population of items. In this setting, Madsen & Holstein have provided a formula for approximating the minimum sample size to find at least one nonconforming item. They also indicate that the approximation is conservative in the sense that it may provide slightly larger sample sizes than actually required. This may lead the engineer, especially in situations where sampling costs are high, to wonder by how much the approximation errs on the conservative side. This note presents bounds on the minimum required sample size and shows that, when the number of nonconforming items in a population is small,the Madsen & Holstein approximation is very close.
SURVIVAL OF AVIAN CARCASSES AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF PREDATORS AND SCAVENGERS

Abstract Scavenging of carcasses may bias estimates of mortality following the use of pesticides. To assess carcass survival, we monitored bird carcasses in crop stubble, grassland, roadside, and wooded habitats in east-central South Dakota in early spring. Survival rates differed among habitat types in 1997 but not in 1998. Survival rates did not differ among species of carcass in 1997 or 1998. Within 5 d, 66% of carcasses had been scavenged in both 1997 and 1998. To assess potential hazards of secondary poisoning, we used infrared-triggered camera systems to identify predators and scavengers of live birds and bird carcasses. Mammals (n = 164), particularly striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) (n = 105), were the most commonly photographed predators and scavengers. The number of avian predators and scavengers photographed (n = 39) was relatively low. Because scavenger activity can be high, we recommend that searches for carcasses should be conducted within 24 h of pesticide application to ensure accurate e...
Stirring by chaotic advection

In the Lagrangian representation, the problem of advection of a passive marker particle by a prescribed flow defines a dynamical system. For two-dimensional incompressible flow this system is Hamiltonian and has just one degree of freedom. For unsteady flow the system is non-autonomous and one must in general expect to observe chaotic particle motion. These ideas are developed and subsequently corroborated through the study of a very simple model which provides an idealization of a stirred tank. In the model the fluid is assumed incompressible and inviscid and its motion wholly two-dimensional. The agitator is modelled as a point vortex, which, together with its image(s) in the bounding contour, provides a source of unsteady potential flow. The motion of a particle in this model device is computed numerically. It is shown that the deciding factor for integrable or chaotic particle motion is the nature of the motion of the agitator. With the agitator held at a fixed position, integrable marker motion ensues, and the model device does not stir very efficiently. If, on the other hand, the agitator is moved in such a way that the potential flow is unsteady, chaotic marker motion can be produced. This leads to efficient stirring. A certain case of the general model, for which the differential equations can be integrated for a finite time to produce an explicitly given, invertible, area-preserving mapping, is used for the calculations. The paper contains discussion of several issues that put this regime of chaotic advection in perspective relative to both the subject of turbulent advection and to recent work on critical points in the advection patterns of steady laminar flows. Extensions of the model, and the notion of chaotic advection, to more realistic flow situations are commented upon.
Geometry of the Concord, North Carolina, intrusive complex: A synthesis of potential field modeling and petrologic data

We propose a new model to explain the geometric and petrologic characteristics of a large gabbro-syenite complex in the southern Appalachian Piedmont, based on reinterpretation of available gravity, magnetic, and petrologic data. In our interpretation the complex is composed of vertically stacked, tabular plutons, and the exposed intrusive rocks are underlain by a much larger body, vertically separated by 1-1.5 km. Our model provides a possible explanation for the perplexing absence from the Concord complex of rock types intermediate to syenite and gabbro in the fractionation sequence. Fractionation occurred in the deeper magma chamber, which was episodically tapped to produce syenite and gabbro at higher levels.
Effect of Rauwolfia serpentina on thyroid and pituitary glands of young rats.

Summary1. An extract of Rauwolfia serpentina was administered daily by subcutaneous injection to 20 rats. The daily dosage was equivalent to 1 mg/kilo body weight and was continued from 21st to the...
A resolution study for electrostatic force microscopy on bimetallic samples using the boundary element method

Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is a special design of non-contact atomic force microscopy used for detecting electrostatic interactions between the probe tip and the sample. Its resolution is limited by the finite probe size and the long-range characteristics of electrostatic forces. Therefore, quantitative analysis is crucial to understanding the relationship between the actual local surface potential distribution and the quantities obtained from EFM measurements. To study EFM measurements on bimetallic samples with surface potential inhomogeneities as a special case, we have simulated such measurements using the boundary element method and calculated the force component and force gradient component that would be measured by amplitude modulation (AM) EFM and frequency modulation (FM) EFM, respectively. Such analyses have been performed for inhomogeneities of various shapes and sizes, for different tip-sample separations and tip geometries, for different applied voltages, and for different media (e.g., vacuum or water) in which the experiment is performed. For a sample with a surface potential discontinuity, the FM-EFM resolution expression agrees with the literature; however, the simulation for AM-EFM suggests the existence of an optimal tip radius of curvature in terms of resolution. On the other hand, for samples with strip- and disk-shaped surface potential inhomogeneities, we have obtained quantitative expressions for the detectability size requirements as a function of experimental conditions for both AM- and FM-EFMs, which suggest that a larger tip radius of curvature is moderately favored for detecting the presence of such inhomogeneities.
Testing for positive quadrant dependence in ordinal contingency table

Two new randomization tests are introduced for ordinal contingency tables for testing independence against strictly positive quadrant dependence, i.e., P(X > x,Y > y) ≥ P(X > x)P(Y > y) for all x,y with strict inequality for some x and y. For a number of cases, simulation is used to compare the estimated power of these tests versus those standard tests based on Kendall's T, Spearman's p, Pearson's X2, the usual likelihood ratio test, and a test based upon the log-odds ratio. In these cases, subsets of the alternative region are identified where each of the testing statistics is superior. The new tests are found to be more powerful than the standard tests over a broad range of the alternative regions for these cases.
The Effect of Stiffness and Beta-Adrenergic Stimulation on Neonatal Cardiomyocyte Calcium-Mediated Contractile Force Dynamics

Embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells have great potential to treat multiple cardiopathologies. Current limitations include a lack of understanding how contractility of immature cardiomyocytes is affected by microenvironment mechanical properties and beta-adrenergic stimulation. Inability to apply traditional force assessment techniques to immature cardiomyocytes led us to utilize 6 micrometer spaced arrays of elastomer-based microfabricated post force sensors. Posts act as cantilever springs with tunable constants (kp (nN/micrometer)), deflecting linearly in response to cultured cell's acto-myosin contraction transmitted through focal adhesions formed at their tips. We combined this method with an IonOptix system for real-time post displacement and intracellular Ca++ flux monitoring. We found for neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCs) exposed to nanomolar concentrations of the β-adrenergic stimulant isoproterenol for ∼2 minutes Ca++ flux decreased with little effect on flux rates. Maximum contractile force increased by as much as 90 % with 100 nM isoproterenol along with a significant increase in relaxation rate (kr). NRCs cultured on post arrays with an effective modulus (calculated based upon the kp) greater than normal cardiac extracellular matrix (∼29.3 kPa vs. 10-20 kPa, respectively) generated the largest force per post (56.0±9.8∗! nN) and the fastest kr (0.44±0.08≅∃ nN/ms) compared to post with Ep∼10.6 kPa (16.1±2.7!% nN, and 0.16±0.030# nN/ms) and Ep∼23.0 kPa (30.6±4.5∗%≅ nN, 0.14±0.023#∃ nN/ms). Interestingly, kr for lower Ep values remained unchanged (#pvalue=0.349) while force increased with stiffness. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that myofibril actin and z-disc associated vinculin were more organized into parallel, longer fibers on stiffer post arrays. Increased contractility on stiffer posts also correlated with increased isoproterenol effects. The results indicate stiffness of the microenvironment at NRC's focal adhesiveness play a critical role in determining contractility and β-adrenergic responsiveness. (∗,!,%,≅pvalue<0.05, ±SEM) HL061683(MR); NSF CAREER and HL097284(NS)
Applying least squares support vector machines to the airframe wing-box structural design cost estimation

This research used the least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM) method to estimate the project design cost of an airframe wing-box structure. We also compared the estimation performance using back-propagation neural networks (BPN) and statistical response surface methodology (RSM). The solution mechanism of the LS-SVM involved a simultaneous searched for the maximal margin as the target, taking into account the error calculated during training phase to determine the estimation problem models. Two case studies involving the wing-box structure was investigated the separate structural parts case and the mixed structural parts case. The test results verified the feasibility of using the LS-SVM as well as its ability to make accurate estimations.
Developmentally Appropriate Emergent Literacy Activities for Young Children: Adapting the Early Literacy and Learning Model

Whether it be leaping, resisting, or being gently shoved, the field of early childhood education continues moving into the age of accountability. Young children are expected to exhibit many requisite skills prior to kindergarten. Thus, the advancement of pre-reading and writing skills development become one of the many areas of focus for early childhood teachers. This study focused on the advancement of young children’s emergent literacy and letter recognition skills through developmentally appropriate instruction and need based adapted activities using the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM) curriculum. The results suggest that mindfully adapting activities to children’s needs advances children’s emergent literacy development.
A novel chemically amplified positive deep UV photoresist with significantly reduced sensitivity to environmental contamination

t-Boc protected Deep-UV transparent polymers with photoacid generators have been widely investigated as potential positive deep-UV resist systems. However, utility of these systems is seriously handicapped by environmental contaminants leading to an insoluble «surface skin» formation. Only with a specially controlled environment or by use of an «overcoat» material is the performance of these systems acceptable. We have investigated a series of t-Boc protected (polystyrene-maleimide) copolymers and polyhydroxy styrene) polymers with onium-salts