cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The frequency of Aschoff bodies in atrial appendages of patients with mitral stenosis. Relationship to age, atrial thrombosis, and season.

Three hundred and sixteen biopsies of atrial appendages obtained at mitral valvotomy were studied histologically. They were divided into those with Aschoff bodies (41 per cent), those with nonspecific granulomas (23 per cent), and those without either lesion. These findings were compared with those of previous investigators. A study of 24 hearts with mitral stenosis and survey of the literature showed that Aschoff bodies in the left atrial appendage are usually accompanied by similar lesions in the rest of the heart. The average age of patients with Aschoff bodies in their atrial biopsy was 4 years less than that of those with "nonspecific granulomas" and more than 7 years less than that of patients without inflammatory foci in the endocardium. The etiology of "nonspecific granulomas" is discussed. Aschoff bodies were rare in patients with organized atrial thrombi, most of whom were fibrillating. Statistical analysis showed that thrombosis rather than fibrillation was the principal factor associated with a lowered incidence of Aschoff bodies. It was concluded that mechanical factors may determine the localization of rheumatic lesions in the heart. Elevated sedimentation rates were recorded as often in patients with negative biopsies as in those with Aschoff bodies. The percentage of positive biopsies fell from 66 per cent in patients aged 15 to 20 years to 14 per cent in patients aged over 55 years. The age incidence of Aschoff bodies has been compared with that of acute rheumatic fever, which is rare after the age of 15 years. It is concluded that in patients with mitral stenosis, histologic activity may continue for 20 years or more in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms. The proportion of positive biopsies was lowest in June and maximal in September. This seasonal change suggests that the histologic process is only intermittently active. The seasonal variation in the percentage of Aschoff bodies is discussed in relation to the seasonal incidence of acute rheumatic fever. Our results appear to establish the concept of a "subclinical" rheumatic process which has been postulated by many previous investigators.
Nonvolatile Memory Effect in Indium Gallium Arsenide-Based Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Devices Using II-VI Tunnel Insulators

This paper reports the successful use of ZnSe/ZnS/ZnMgS/ZnS/ZnSe as a gate insulator stack for an InGaAs-based metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) device, and demonstrates the threshold voltage shift required in nonvolatile memory devices using a floating gate quantum dot layer. An InGaAs-based nonvolatile memory MOS device was fabricated using a high-κ II–VI tunnel insulator stack and self-assembled GeOx-cladded Ge quantum dots as the charge storage units. A Si3N4 layer was used as the control gate insulator. Capacitance–voltage data showed that, after applying a positive voltage to the gate of a MOS device, charges were being stored in the quantum dots. This was shown by the shift in the flat-band/threshold voltage, simulating the write process of a nonvolatile memory device.
Astrophysics: Broad escape from the abyss

New ultra-high-resolution images of the radio galaxy M87 show the origin of a jet very close to the galaxy's black hole, revealing that jets start as broad flows before straightening into nearly cylindrical beams. See Letter p.185 Radio jets from active galactic nuclei, such as the nearby galaxy M87, are thought to be powered by the accretion of material into a supermassive black hole. The relative position of this 'central engine' and the bright radio core that marks the base of the jet remain the subject of much speculation. New observations of M87 at six frequencies have been used to determine the position of the radio core to an accuracy of ∼ 20 microarcseconds. The data reveal that the central engine is located close to the radio core, within a distance of 14–23 Schwarzschild radii at 43 GHz.
Cellular transplants as sources for therapeutic agents

Soluble factors normally produced by cells of the human body are of increasing importance as potential therapeutic agents. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of disease, in developing animal models and newer experimental therapeutics, few discoveries have been translated into clinically effective ways of delivering the multiple therapeutic agents obtained from living mammalian cells. This review examines the use of transplanted cells as alternatives to conventional delivery systems to deliver a variety of protein based therapeutic agents. The chapter begins with a set of questions to establish the complexity and challenges of this form of drug delivery. The following section focuses the discussion on our understanding of genetic engineering, tissue engineering, and some areas of developmental biology as they relate to the development of this nascent field. Much of the discussion has a neuro/endocrine emphasis. The chapter ends by listing the basic ingredients needed to push the use of transplanted cells toward medical practice and some general comments about future developments.
Shifting trends in the incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia in hospitalized adults in the United States from 1996-2010.

Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia (PAS) is associated with high mortality rates and substantial resource utilization; however, the burden of PAS in the United States in recent years is unknown. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of the U.S. National Hospital Discharge Surveys from 1996-2010. Adult patients with an ICD-9-CM code for PAS (038.43) were included. Incidence, in-hospital mortality, and hospital length of stay (LOS) for PAS discharges were reported. Incidence was calculated as PAS discharges per 10,000 total adult discharges. Results Overall, 213,553 patients had a PAS discharge diagnosis during the study period. Patients had a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 69 (55-78) years and were predominately men (61%) and white (75%). PAS incidence declined from 6.5 per 10,000 in 1996 to 3.1 per 10,000 in 2001 and then increased to 6.5 per 10,000 in 2010. PAS incidence was highest in the Northeast (7.6 per 10,000) and lowest in the South (6.2 per 10,000). The overall mortality rate was 16%, but this ranged from 10%-26% over the study period. Median LOS was 10 (IQR, 6-19) days, and this varied over the study period (8-13 days). Conclusions The incidence of PAS has increased among hospitalized adults in the United States since 2001, with little evidence of improvement in mortality or LOS.
Multi-modal MRI analysis with disease-specific spatial filtering: Initial testing to predict mild cognitive impairment patients who convert to Alzheimer's disease

Background: Alterations of the gray and white matter have been identified in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). However, whether the combination of these modalities could increase the diagnostic performance is unknown. Methods: Participants included 19 AD patients, 22 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients, and 22 cognitively normal elderly (NC). The aMCI group was further divided into an “aMCI-converter” group (converted to AD dementia within three years), and an “aMCI-stable” group who did not convert in this time period. A T1-weighted image, a T2 map, and a DTI of each participant were normalized, and voxel-based comparisons between AD and NC groups were performed. Regions-of-interest, which defined the areas with significant differences between AD and NC, were created for each modality and named “disease-specific spatial filters” (DSF). Linear discriminant analysis was used to optimize the combination of multiple MRI measurements extracted by DSF to effectively differentiate AD from NC. The resultant DSF and the discriminant function were applied to the aMCI group to investigate the power to differentiate the aMCI-converters from the aMCI-stable patients. Results: The multi-modal approach with AD-specific filters led to a predictive model with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.93, in differentiating aMCI-converters from aMCI-stable patients. This AUC was better than that of a single-contrast-based approach, such as T1-based morphometry or diffusion anisotropy analysis. Conclusion: The multi-modal approach has the potential to increase the value of MRI in predicting conversion from aMCI to AD.
Ein neues Isomer des [B20H18]2−-Ions: Synthese, Struktur und Reaktivität voncis-[B20H18]2− undcis-[B20H17NH3]−

Altbekanntes neu verknupft: Durch Oxidation geeigneter Vorstufen, in denen zwei Decaboratkafige apical-aquatorial verbunden sind, wurden die Boran-Ionen 1 und 2 erhalten. Darin sind die beiden nichtaquivalenten Kafigfragmente cis-verknupft, im Unterschied zum seit uber 30 Jahren bekannten trans-[B20H18]2−-Ion. Durch reduktive Substitution von 1 und 2 sind neue apical-apical-verknupfte sowie disubstituierte [B20H18]-Anionen zuganglich. • = B, ○ = BH.
Gender Disparities in Sentencing Departures: An Examination of U.S. Federal Courts

Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission, the present study examines the role of guideline departures in the sentencing of male and female defendants in federal courts. Findings indicate that female defendants continue to have lower odds of incarceration and to receive shorter sentence length terms, even after legal, extralegal, and contextual factors are controlled. The largest gender difference in the odds of incarceration was found for defendants who received substantial assistance departures, while male and female defendants in this same category were given the most similar sentence lengths. When departure status was examined as a dependent variable, it was found that female defendants were more likely to receive a sentencing departure. Finally, for both males and female defendants sentenced on multiple counts, those who went to trial and had prior criminal histories were less likely to receive sentencing departures. But defendants with higher guidelines sentences, those who had committ...
TURBULENCE MEASUREMENTS IN THE PHYSICAL MODEL OF A MOLTEN ALUMINUM TUNDISH USING LASER DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY

Quantitative velocity and turbulence measurements which were obtained using laser Doppler velocimetry during the course of the physical modeling of the molten aluminum flow in a tundish are presented. The experimental findings are compared to the results obtained by the computational simulation of the flow, showing favorable agreement between the two approaches. The measurements revealed asymmetric velocity and non-isotropic turbulence field near the nozzle exit. In the vicinity of the nozzle, the interaction of the impinging jet and the inclined walls gives rise to recirculating vortex structures. Downstream of the nozzle, two counter-rotating secondary cells diminish in strength.
Nuclear shapes and the configuration (i132,h92) in A ∼ 150 nuclei☆

Abstract The level structures of nuclei with A ∼ 150 N = 83−86 have been carefully analyzed to identify how their nuclear shapes change with increasing spin. Levels which include the v(i 13 2 , h 9 2 ) 11- configuration, are found to be the lowest states with significant oblate deformation ( β ≈−0.15) in N =83, 84 nuclei, but are spherical ( β ≈ 0) in N = 86 and possibly N = 85 and prolate ( β ≈ 0.2) in N = 88. All states with I π ⩽ 27 - are spherical in 150 Gd 86 and 152 Dy 86 and presumably other N = 86 nuclei.
Solution of problems of free torsional vibrations of thick-walled orthotropic inhomogeneous cylinders

With the use of the 3D theory of elasticity, we investigate the problem of free torsional vibrations of an anisotropic hollow cylinder with different boundary conditions at its end faces. We have proposed a numerical-analytic approach for the solution of this problem. The original partial differential equations of the theory of elasticity with the use of spline approximation and collocation are reduced to an eigenvalue problem for a system of ordinary differential equations of high order in the radial coordinate. This system is solved by the stable numerical method of discrete orthogonalization together with the method of step-by-step search. We also present numerical results for the case of orthotropic and inhomogeneous material of the cylinder for some kinds of boundary conditions.
Twin–Twin Transfusion Syndrome Presenting as Polyhydramnios in Both Fetuses Secondary to Spontaneous Microseptostomy

The presence of polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios is pathognomonic for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). However, polyhydramnios of both twins can exist in TTTS in the setting of a septostomy of the dividing membrane. In prior reported cases of dual polyhydramnios TTTS, the septostomy was identified through either ultrasound or fetoscopy thus helping to establish the diagnosis of TTTS with an unusual presentation. The presented case is a set of monochorionic, diamniotic twins who presented initially with dual polyhydramnios. Subsequent ultrasound and clinical and pathologic findings were otherwise consistent with TTTS. Unlike prior reported cases, a septostomy of the dividing membrane was never identified with ultrasound or even on post delivery placental examination. However, microseptostomies were demonstrated due to the transfer of indigo carmine between the amniotic sacs at amniocentesis. Thus in the setting of TTTS concern, the diagnosis should be considered with dual polyhydramnios even if a septostomy cannot be identified.
Fertility Levels, Trends and Differentials in Kenya: How Does the Own-children Method Add to Our Knowledge of the Transition?

The own-children method of fertility estimation tracks temporal changes in fertility patterns. We revisit the Kenyan fertility transition by applying the method to 1979, 1989 and 1999 censuses, and 1989, 1993, 1998 and 2003 Demographic and Health Surveys data. The method's ability to provide yearly fertility rates for periods preceding each data source adds enormous knowledge to fertility patterns. For Kenya, these trends go back through the 1960s. First, the method sheds additional light on the onset of the transition. Second, the trends highlight major differences in the onset and pace of fertility decline among regions and key sub-groups. Third, the rates for overlapping periods provide both internal and external validity checks that heighten confidence in the overall results. Last, it provides a rare opportunity to evaluate birth history fertility rates. Taken together, these estimates provide more detail than ever before regarding fertility patterns in Kenya.
Enthalpy and heat capacity of the actinide oxides

The available enthalpy data on UO2, ThO2, PuO2, (Th, U)O2, and (Pu, U)O2 have been analyzed and equations have been derived to fit the data. Phase transitions were found in UO2, ThO2, (Th, U)O2, and (Pu, U)O2. The high temperature PuO2 data were too scattered to determine whether a phase transition exists. Above the phase transition temperature, the enthalpy data were fit with a linear equation. Enthalpy data for PuO2 and ThO2 below the phase transition temperature were fit with two-term equations whose contributions are due to phonons and thermal expansion. For UO2 below its phase transition, a term for an electronic contribution was added to this basic equation. Below the phase transitions for (Th, U)O2, enthalpy data were fit by a mole average of the equations used to fit the ThO2 and UO2 data below their phase transitions; however, the mole average equation was not valid for 90 and 92% ThO2 in the mixed oxide. Since it was found that mole averages of the PuO2 and UO2 data do not fit the (Pu, U)O2 data, these data were fit with an equation of the same form as that that used for UO2.
Developing an evaluation plan for Public Law 94‐142

The planning process used for developing an evaluation plan can clarify the questions to be asked, suggest the appropriate methodologies to use, and increase the value and use of the evaluation findings.
The Effects of Perioperative Blood Transfusion on Morbidity and Mortality After Esophagectomy

The effect of blood transfusion on outcomes in esophageal surgery remains controversial. The contrasting conclusions drawn from a number of retrospective analyses with different methodologies create a landscape that is difficult to interpret. Because of the scope of esophageal resection, the need for blood transfusion cannot be eliminated. What recommendations then, if any, can be made for the practicing surgeon? First, surgeons and anesthesiologists need to reevaluate their transfusion thresholds. The age-old practice of keeping the hemoglobin above 10 g/dL has very little evidence-based support. A multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial in Canada demonstrated that a restrictive strategy of blood transfusion, in which patients were transfused only for a hemoglobin level of less than 7 g/dL, was at least as effective as and possibly was superior to a liberal transfusion strategy in critically ill patients. It has also been estimated that more than 25% of patients undergoing colorectal resections may receive at least one unit of unnecessary blood. Further, the immediate reduction in the hemoglobin concentration caused by the normovolemic hemodilution associated with surgery and crystalloid fluid replacement is not associated with any increased morbidity or mortality. If these data are examined in the context of the results of Langley and Tachibana indicating that a threshold amount of blood needs to be transfused to impact outcomes, it becomes even more important to limit transfusion to only the amount that is essential. Thus, surgeons and anesthesiologists should adopt a more stringent set of requirements for blood transfusion. Second, with the proven feasibility and reduction in infectious complications associated with autologous blood-donation programs, any patient who meets the criteria discussed here should be encouraged to participate in such a program. Although the effect of autologous blood on cancer outcomes remains unclear, the other advantages certainly make such a program worthy of consideration. This discussion leads to a final point, namely that patients should be encouraged, whenever possible, to participate in clinical trial research. The only way that the community of surgeons treating patients who have esophageal cancer can hope to address properly the question of how blood transfusion affects outcomes is with well-designed clinical trials. A large, multicenter, randomized trial (level I) would be ideal. Short of such a trial, inclusion criteria and study methodology should be discussed among various institutions to avoid the differences in studies that make direct comparisons of results among different investigators difficult and potentially meaningless. This measure would at least allow different level II to IV data to be compared directly with some validity.
Amygdalar Lesions Block Discriminative Avoidance Learning and Cingulothalamic Training-Induced Neuronal Plasticity in Rabbits

Learning to fear dangerous situations requires the participation of neurons of the amygdala. Here it is shown that amygdalar neurons are also involved in learning to avoid dangerous situations. Amygdalar lesions severely impaired the acquisition of acoustically cued, discriminative instrumental avoidance behavior of rabbits. In addition, the development of anterior cingulate cortical and medial dorsal thalamic training-induced neuronal plasticity in the early stages of behavioral acquisition was blocked in rabbits with lesions. The development of training-induced neuronal plasticity in the medial dorsal and anterior thalamic nuclei in late stages of behavioral acquisition was also blocked in rabbits with lesions. These results indicate that the integrity of the amygdala is essential for the establishment of both early and late training-induced cingulothalamic neuronal plasticity. It is hypothesized that amygdalar training-induced neuronal plasticity in the initial trials of conditioning represents a substrate of learned fear, essential for the early and late cingulothalamic plasticity that is involved in mediation of acquisition of the instrumental avoidance response.
An Evaluation of a Two-Stage Spiral Processing Ultrafine Bituminous Coal

Testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of a multistage Multotec SX7 spiral concentrator treating ultrafine bituminous coal. This spiral mimics a two-stage separation in that the refuse is removed after four turns, and the clean coal and middlings are repulped (without water addition) and then separated in the final three turns. Feed samples were collected from the spiral circuit of a coal cleaning plant located in southwestern Pennsylvania. The samples consisted of undeslimed cyclone feed (nominal − 0.15 mm) and deslimed spiral feed (nominal 0.15 × 0.053 mm). Testing was carried out to investigate the effects of slurry flow rate and solids concentration on spiral performance. Detailed size and ash analyses were performed on the spiral feed and product samples. For selected tests, float-sink and sulfur analyses were performed. In nearly all cases, ash reduction occurred down to approximately 0.025 mm, with some sulfur reduction occurring even in the − 0.025 mm interval. The separation of the + 0...
Pifithrin-alpha Enhances Chemosensitivity by a p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Dependent Modulation of the Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E in Malignant Cholangiocytes

Pifithrin-alpha is the lead compound for a novel group of small molecules that are being developed for use as anticancer agents. The eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF-4E) is overexpressed in many cancers, it can mediate sensitivity to therapy, and it may be regulated by p53. We examined the utility of pifithrin-alpha as an adjunct to therapy for the treatment of human cholangiocarcinoma, a tumor that is highly refractory to therapy, and we assessed the involvement of p53-dependent eIF-4E regulation in cellular responses to pifithrin-alpha. The expression of eIF-4E was increased in human cholangiocarcinomas compared with normal liver. Modulation of eIF-4E expression by RNA interference enhanced the efficacy of gemcitabine in KMCH cholangiocarcinoma cells. Preincubation of KMCH cells with pifithrin-alpha enhanced gemcitabine-induced cytotoxicity in an eIF-4E-dependent manner. Furthermore, pifithrin-alpha increased eIF-4E phosphorylation at serine 209 via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Pifithrin-alpha was shown to activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling and p38 MAPK activation. Sequencing analysis indicated the presence of a functionally inactivating p53 mutation in KMCH cells, and small interfering RNA to p53 did not modulate chemosensitization by pifithrin-alpha. Pifithrin-alpha enhanced chemosensitivity by a mechanism independent of p53 and involving AhR and p38 MAPK deregulation of eIF-4E phosphorylation. Thus, pifithrin-alpha may prove useful for enhancing chemosensitivity in tumors with mutated p53. Moreover, modulation of eIF-4E is an attractive therapeutic target for intervention in cancer treatment.
Dynamical weakening of faults by acoustic fluidization

When a fault slips seismically, some of the energy released may excite strong, short-wavelength vibrations near the fault core. Such vibrations can temporarily reduce the normal stress on the fault, allowing it to slip at lower shear stresses than predicted by laboratory coefficients of friction. This phenomenon of 'acoustic fluidization' provides an alternative to theories that invoke pressurized fluids as an explanation for why some faults appear to be so weak.
Teaching Acculturation: Developing Multiple “Cultures” in the Classroom and Role-Playing the Acculturation Process

Psychology recognizes the importance of educating students regarding cross-cultural issues. We designed a classroom exercise to give students a firsthand appreciation of a specific cross-cultural issue, that of acculturation. After a brief lecture on acculturation, we divided students in the class into 2 groups and helped each group to develop a distinct culture. Students then went on cultural exchanges to the other culture, to experience the acculturation process. Our intent with this exercise was both to teach acculturation and to broaden students' perspectives regarding current global cultural issues. Self-report evaluations of this exercise indicated that students believed it was helpful in learning about acculturation, and students reported that they developed empathy for those who are changing cultures.
The Effects of Diagnostic Ultrasound on Sister Chromatid Exchange Frequencies: A Review of the Recent Literature

The precise nature and significance of SCEs are still not understood. It is clear that SCE analysis is a sensitive means of detecting genotoxic agents, and that SCEs are correlated with mutation, in vitro transformation, and cancer. SCEs, as all other short-term assays, are subject to false positives and false negatives. Therefore, it is possible that even if ultrasound induces SCE, the effects may not be deleterious, although the reverse could be true as well. The majority of studies have not observed SCE induction after exposure to diagnostic ultrasound, however two positive responses have been reported. Such discrepancies cannot be explained until investigators adopt a uniform protocol for ultrasound exposure. The currently widespread use of ultrasound in antepartum diagnosis, and the rate at which its use increases, argue strongly for additional research into its potential for genetic toxicity.
Mild cognitive impairment.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a degree of cognitive impairment, which is abnormal for a given individual, and yet is insufficient to warrant a diagnosis of dementia. The chapter explains that the diagnosis of MCI requires only a subjective complaint of cognitive deterioration and some objective evidence of cognitive impairment on standardized neurocognitive testing. MCI has been included in the American academy of neurology practice parameters as a clinical entity worthy of recognition, in that it carries increased risk of symptom progression to dementia, and gives patients and physicians better insight into the presence or absence of underlying disease. The chapter identifies patients who may be most benefited by therapeutics aimed at slowing the biochemical processes that give rise to neurodegeneration. If such therapeutics is shown to be effective, the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment stands to become one of the most vital to both individuals and to society at large.
Biology of the Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus: Life Tables, Age Distributions, and Trends in Population Numbers

Populations of the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) were studied during the years 1962 to 1970 at locations in Pennsylvania and Vermont by means of repetitive live-trapping of gridded plots. Analysis of the resultant data pro- vided life tables, survivorship curves, and population age classes for this species. Calculations were based on disappearance of individuals from the trapped plots rather than on known mortality. Four thousand individuals were trapped of which 1580 were first captured as juveniles. Survival tended to be constant over much of the adult life span but differed among populations at different localities and between sexes. Season of birth also affected survival rate. Yearly survival rates based on a composite series of known-age chipmunks varied from 0.34 to 0.64 with an average of 0.43. Mean life expectancy at first capture ranged from 1.0 to 2.25 years with a mean of 1.29 years. There is a shift in age distribu- tion from year to year as a result of different numbers of juveniles entering the population in each breeding season. Fluctuations in the numbers of chipmunks handled over the period of the study indicated the possibility of a cycle of 3 to 4 years. There also appeared to be synchrony in these fluctuations between the populations in Pennsylvania and those in Vermont. Small mammal populations have become one of the focal points for at- tempts to understand the mechanisms by which population numbers are related to environmental capacity. Sufficient studies have been made to demonstrate the general structure of populations of small rodents and at least some of the steps in the regulatory mechanisms. Most of the intensive field investiga- tions have been concerned with various species of cricetids and murids, al- though certain difficulties are imposed by the secretive or nocturnal habits and short life spans of these rodents. It has seemed to us that an equally intensive study must be made of a species that has a relatively longer life span. This is especially important in regard to the generality of the selection hypothesis proposed by Chitty (1967) and tentatively supported by Myers and
Automating the Pluto Experience: An Examination of the New Horizons Autonomous Operations Subsystem

New Horizons is a NASA sponsored mission to explore Pluto and its largest moon Charon. The New Horizons spacecraft, designed, built and operated by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), was successfully launched in January 2006. New Horizon's closest encounter with Pluto will occur in the summer of 2015. Upon completion of its primary science objectives at the Pluto encounter, the spacecraft is expected to visit one or more Kuiper Belt objects in the outermost region of the solar system. This long duration mission requires high reliability and imposes some demanding fault management requirements upon the spacecraft. The spacecraft is highly redundant with onboard software that provides a rule based expert system for performing autonomous fault detection and recovery. Generally referred to as Autonomy, this software's design was largely driven by two factors, the concept of operations for the mission and the level of redundancy in the spacecraft hardware. This paper examines the unique mission requirements that drove the Autonomy design. It discusses how the Autonomy system supports all of the various phases of the mission and provides examples of how unique mission requirements of the New Horizons mission were implemented.
PEAK1, a Novel Kinase Target in the Fight Against Cancer

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
Fast-Track Institution Building in Conflict-Affected Countries? Insights from Recent Field Experiments

Summary. — This paper synthesizes evidence from four recent “community-driven development” field experiments undertaken in countries affected by violent conflict and assesses prospects for “fast-track” institution building. Conflict-affected environments are presumed to be settings that combine extraordinary need and opportunity for building institutions. The substantive and methodological consistency of the field experiments (Afghanistan, DRC, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) allows us to derive general conclusions about attempts at local institution building in conflict-affected contexts. The evidence tells us that CDD programs are far from “proven impact” interventions. We discuss reasons for the limited effects, with implications for policy and further research. 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation: The Always Present but Overlooked Donor

Haploidentical stem cell transplantation is a treatment option for the approximately 70% of patients who do not have an HLA-identical sibling donor. The availability of a haploidentical donor in most families is a potential advantage, both for avoiding the need to find an alternative unrelated donor, and for the potentially more potent graft-versus-tumor effect that can be induced. The early complications of severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following T-cell replete stem cell transplantation (SCT), and graft failure and recurrent malignancy (after T-cell depleted SCT) have limited the applications of this approach. Newer strategies employing T-cell depletion of the graft, using either very high-dose peripheral blood stem cells and/or more intensive conditioning therapy have overcome some of the problems of conventional transplantation. Nonmyeloablative SCT approaches have overcome some of the morbidity and mortality associated with the early complications of SCT and have been associated with favorable engraftment and GVHD profiles. Induction of mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism as a platform for adoptive cellular immunotherapy (via delayed donor lymphocyte infusions) may have important application in avoiding early GVHD, while ultimately capturing a very potent graft-versus-tumor effect. Current strategies are focusing on improvement of immune reconstitution and prevention of recurrence of the underlying malignancy.
Physician Beliefs, Attitudes, and Approaches Toward Lyme Disease in an Endemic Area

To assess the beliefs and practice habits regarding Lyme disease among practitioners, questionnaires were sent to physicians in a seven-county Lyme-endemic region. One hundred twenty-four evaluable responses were returned from 53 family physicians, 39 pediatricians, 27 internists, and five subspecialists who diagnosed three to four cases of Lyme disease per year, on average. The majority presented with erythema migrans (EM) or other early symptoms, although arthritis was the presenting sign in 16%. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was the most frequently ordered diagnostic test, but 45% of respondents did not specify which test when ordering Lyme serology. The majority would use amoxicillin or doxycycline to treat EM in children or adults, respectively. Nearly all would use ceftriaxone for meningitis, and half would use it to treat Lyme arthritis or Bell's palsy. Physicians differed markedly in the duration of therapy they would prescribe. Eighty-three percent would treat a patient for possible Lyme disease with antibiotics (many intravenously), even in the absence of EM or positive serology. Thirty-five percent of practitioners prescribed antibiotics for deer-tick bites. Our survey documents significant variation in approaches to Lyme disease among primary-care physicians and suggests the need for well-designed clinical trials, continuing basic research, and physician education.
Dynamic addressing memory arrays with physical locality

As pipeline width and depth grow to improve performance, memory arrays in microprocessors are growing in entries and ports. Arrays will increase in physical size, which prolongs the access time due to wiring delay. In order to boost clock frequency, these memory arrays must take multiple cycles to complete an access. This delays the scheduling of dependent instructions and affects overall performance. This paper proposes a different circuit organization to enable fast and slow accesses solely dependent on physical locality. Since the access time depends on a fixed physical location, it is pre-determined to scheduling dependent instructions. Furthermore, this paper presents a mechanism to re-configure the address decoding of the physical register file to increase the occurrence of fast accesses. Detailed circuit simulation using this proposed method determines the access cycle time. Reduction in average access cycle time for the register file and the first level data cache recovers 73% of the IPC degradation.
Usury and the Medieval English Church Courts

Continental historians.' In dealing with enforcement of the law of usury in medieval England, therefore, most general treatments have had either to make reasonable guesses from secondary evidence or to be silent. This article fills a part of the gap.2 It collects the evidence relating to the subject of usury found in the surviving records of the English church courts.3 In some measure, the approach is purely descriptive, bringing to light evidence not previously available. However, insofar as the records permit, the article also attempts to interpret and explain the evidence. Regrettably, the attempt cannot wholly succeed. The records that survive are far from complete, and the information they contain is often unsatisfactory, leaving many questions unanswered. However, the records do contain useful and sure information about the church's attempts to enforce its usury prohibitions in medieval England. They further allow the historian to compare canon law theory with practice and to suggest tentative reasons for the shape that medieval practice took.
Distressing Visions at the End of Life: Case Report and Review of the Literature

There is a growing body of literature documenting dreams, visions, and other trans-personal communications that occur as part of the dying process, often called end-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) or deathbed communications (DBCs). This paper describes a unique case involving distressing visions at the end of life, provides a review of existing literature around ELDVs, and will provide a framework within which to approach the patient experiencing distressing ELDVs.
Isolated EUV Pulses via CEP-insensitive Nonlinear Stabilization in a Waveguide

We discuss a new regime of harmonic generation, where bright isolated, suboptical cycle, EUV pulse can be generated via a mechanism relatively insensitive to carrier-envelope phase. Interplay between the transient plasma generated by the laser and the instantaneous laser intensity in the waveguide gives rise to a new non-linear stabilization mechanism where phase-matched EUV emission is localized within a sub-optical cycle.
Challenging the United States Position on a United Nations Convention on Disability

In 2003, the United States announced that it had no intention of becoming a party to the forthcoming United Nations treaty on disability rights. This article explores the rationale behind the reasons proffered for the United States' decision: examining first the U.S. record and general stance on human rights treaties, then the contention that disability is a matter for domestic policy, and finally, the belief that U.S. disability policy is sufficiently comprehensive, precluding the need to adopt a convention. The article concludes that the reasons offered by the United States for not participating in a convention on disability rights do not seem to be the product of sincere investigation or reflection and encourages U.S. support for the convention.
Analgesic use and risk of renal cell carcinoma: A case-control, cohort and meta-analytic assessment

Analgesics are the most commonly consumed drugs worldwide. Evidence that analgesics increase kidney cancer risk has been mixed. We investigated the association between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and analgesic use in a large population-based case-control study and a post-trial observational cohort study. Findings were used to update a recent meta-analytic review. We analyzed data from 1,217 RCC cases and 1,235 controls in the US Kidney Cancer Study and 98,807 participants in the US Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO: n = 137 RCCs). Self-reported acetaminophen, aspirin and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and duration information was assessed in relation to RCC. For the US Kidney Cancer Study, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using unconditional logistic regression. For PLCO, we computed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%CIs using Cox regression. Among case-control participants, RCC risk was associated with over-the-counter acetaminophen use (OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.01-1.83). There was a positive trend with increasing duration (p-trend = 0.01), with a two-fold risk for use ≥10 years (OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.30-3.12). No association with prescription acetaminophen use was detected. In PLCO, acetaminophen use was also associated with increased RCC risk (HR = 1.68, 95%CI = 1.19-2.39), although elevated risk was absent among the few long-term users. No association with RCC risk was detected for aspirin or NSAIDs use in either study. An association between acetaminophen use and kidney cancer was supported by meta-analytic cohort (n = 4; summary relative risk = 1.34; 95%CI = 1.13-1.59; p-heterogeneity = 0.40) and case-control (n = 9, summary OR = 1.20; 95%CI = 1.01-1.42; p-heterogeneity = 0.05) findings. In brief, acetaminophen use may increase the risk of developing RCC.
Charles Dickens' Old People

Charles Dickens, rare among authors of any period, presented a host of elderly and old characters in his novels and stories. More than 120 such characters were identified, distributed among four le...
Transforming growth factor-beta inhibits human vascular smooth muscle cell growth and migration.

Background. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is released after vascular injury and may influence the healing response of the vessel wall. We investigated the effect of this growth factor on proliferation and migration of human venous smooth muscle cells (SMC) and the signal transduction mechanisms through which TGF-β exerts this effect. Methods. SMC derived from human saphenous vein were used in a 72-hour proliferation assay and a 6-day migration assay. Cells were exposed to TGF-β alone and in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), epidermal growth factor, and serum. The ability of TGF-β to activate tyrosine kinases, phosphatases, or protein kinase C was evaluated by use of Western blotting with an antiphosphotyrosine antibody
Influence of postfast dietary crude protein and phosphorus content on nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium repletion in sheep.

An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of postfast dietary CP and P concentration on the repletion of N, P, Ca, and Mg lost during a 3-d fast in sheep. Four Suffolk wether lambs averaging 35 kg were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Lambs were fed a control diet (700 g/d; as-fed basis) for 14 d and were then deprived of feed and water for 3 d. Lambs were then fed one of four isoenergetic realimentation diets: 1) low CP/low P, 2) low CP/high P, 3) high CP/high P, and 4) high CP/very high P. Realimentation N and Mg intakes were 9.8 and 1.1 g/d for lambs fed the low-CP diet and 18.1 and 1.7 g/d for lambs fed the high-CP diets, respectively. Realimentation P intakes were 1.40, 2.36, 2.66, and 3.82 g/d for lambs fed Diets 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Nitrogen, P, Ca, and Mg apparent digestibility and balance and serum urea N, free fatty acids, P, Ca, Mg, and alkaline phosphatase were determined during the prefast, fast, and realimentation periods. Lambs fed the high-CP diets had higher (P less than .05) N and P digestibility and balance than lambs fed the low-CP diet. Increasing the dietary P content did not affect (P greater than .15) P balance or digestibility. In general, the realimentation diet fed did not affect (P greater than .15) serum concentrations of free fatty acids, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic P, Ca, or Mg.
Reversing Implicit First Impressions through Reinterpretation after a Two-Day Delay

People are adept at forming impressions of others, but how easily can impressions be updated? Although implicit first impressions have been characterized as difficult to overturn, recent work shows that they can be reversed through reinterpretation of earlier learning. However, such reversal has been demonstrated only in the same experimental session in which the impression formed, suggesting that implicit updating might be possible only within a brief temporal window, before impressions are consolidated and when memory about the initial information is strongest. Implicit impressions may be unable to be revised when reinterpreting details are learned later, due to memory consolidation or forgetting of the details to be reinterpreted. This study tested whether implicit first impressions can be reversed through reinterpretation after a two-day delay following the initial formation. Results showed that implicit revision emerged after the delay, even among those with poor explicit recall or who were not cued to recall. We discuss implications for theory on impression formation and updating.
The syntax of the world

Davidson desalienta el compromiso ontologico con hechos distintos que correspondan a oraciones verdaderas distintas. Pero, una vez que se han dado extensiones a los nombres y predicados basicos de un lenguaje construido con funciones veritativas y cuantificadores, es inevitable un desarrollo conjuntistico que usando secuencias conduce a hechos distintos que resultan extensiones de oraciones verdaderas distintas. Como dijo Huxley, los hechos no dejan de existir porque los ignoremos. [Traduccion: Raul Orayen]
Assessing the Use of Seasonal Climate Forecasts to Support Farmers in the Andean Highlands

Andean farmers plant their fields before and during the initial months of the rainy season, avoiding planting all of their fields on a specific date or with the same crop. This traditional technique reduces climatic risks that occur as a result of the high interannual climate variability and also assures a minimum production for self-consumption during years of poor production. Farmers make decisions according to their expectation and based on previous experiences of risk and they have developed their own systems for weather and seasonal climate forecasting based on meteorological and astronomical phenomena as well as biological behavior of wild species (Baigorria 2005). However, in comparison to other Andean areas, studies in La Encanada and Tambomayo show that these indicators are more related to short-term decision-making such as when to apply agro-chemicals, than what, when, where and how to plant and crop. Although formal weather and seasonal climate forecasts are available from the Peruvian National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology, these are used only in a few cases, due to the inadequate spatial resolution and the lack of training to interpret them properly. Similarly, but at a different level, the extension offices provide general-purpose recommendations without using these forecasts.
Enabling technologies for memory compression: Metadata, mapping, and prediction

Future systems dealing with big-data workloads will be severely constrained by the high performance and energy penalty imposed by data movement. This penalty can be reduced by storing datasets in DRAM or NVM main memory in compressed formats. Prior compressed memory systems have required significant changes to the operating system, thus limiting commercial viability. The first contribution of this paper is to integrate compression metadata with ECC metadata so that the compressed memory system can be implemented entirely in hardware with no OS involvement. We show that in such a system, read operations are unable to exploit the benefits of compression because the compressibility of the block is not known beforehand. To address this problem, we introduce a compressibility predictor that yields an accuracy of 97%. We also introduce a new data mapping policy that is able to maximize read/write parallelism and NVM endurance, when dealing with compressed blocks. Combined, our proposals are able to eliminate OS involvement and improve performance by 7% (DRAM) and 8% (NVM), and system energy by 12% (DRAM) and 14% (NVM), relative to an uncompressed memory system.