cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Student's t-Test under Symmetry Conditions

Abstract The size and power of Student's t-test are discussed under weaker than normal conditions. It is shown that assuming only a symmetry condition for the null hypothesis leads to effective bounds on the dispersion of the t-statistic. (The symmetry condition is weak enough to include all cases of independent but not necessarily identically distributed observations, each symmetric about the origin.) The connection between Student's test and the usual non-parametric tests is examined, as well as power considerations involving Winsorization and permutation tests. Simultaneous use of different one-sample tests is also discussed.
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response of Immature Offspring to Interleukin-1: Is Nitric Oxide Involved?

We have previously shown that following prenatal alcohol exposure, immature offspring showed blunted ACTH released in response to the peripheral administration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The present studies were conducted to investigate the role of changes in corticosteroid feedback (measured by altered adrenal responses to ACTH), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) content of the median eminence (ME), and the influence of endogenous nitric oxide (NO). The injection of several doses of ACTH failed to indicate measurable differences between the corticosterone responses of offspring born to dams fed ad libitum [control (C)], pair-fed (PF), or fed alcohol [ethanol (EtOH) = E]. CRF content in the ME, taken as an index of the amount of releasable peptide, showed a small, but statistically significant, decrease following prenatal alcohol exposure. A comparable change, however, was also noted in PF rats. As expected, the subcutaneous injection of IL-1β (0.5 μg/kg) induced smaller increases in plasma ACTH levels of E than C pups. The response of PF animals was intermediate between that of E and C rats. Finally, we observed that inhibition of NO formation by the administration of the arginine derivative Lwnitro-L-arginine-methylester significantly augmented ACTH secretion in all three experimental groups, and reversed the decreased corticotrophs' response to IL-1β caused by prenatal alcohol. Taken together, our results suggest that the ability of prenatal alcohol exposure to alter ACTH released by immature pups in response to blood-borne IL-1β is probably not mediated through changes in adrenal responsiveness. We propose, on the other hand, that endogenous NO levels may be increased by the prenatal treatment, thereby interfering with the release of peptides from nerve terminals in the ME.
Absence of “Warm-Up” during Active Avoidance Learning in a Rat Model of Anxiety Vulnerability: Insights from Computational Modeling

Avoidance behaviors, in which a learned response causes omission of an upcoming punisher, are a core feature of many psychiatric disorders. While reinforcement learning (RL) models have been widely used to study the development of appetitive behaviors, less attention has been paid to avoidance. Here, we present a RL model of leverpress avoidance learning in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and in the inbred Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat, which has been proposed as a model of anxiety vulnerability. We focus on “warm-up,” transiently decreased avoidance responding at the start of a testing session, which is shown by SD but not WKY rats. We first show that a RL model can correctly simulate key aspects of acquisition, extinction, and warm-up in SD rats; we then show that WKY behavior can be simulated by altering three model parameters, which respectively govern the tendency to explore new behaviors vs. exploit previously-reinforced ones, the tendency to repeat previous behaviors regardless of reinforcement, and the learning rate for predicting future outcomes. This suggests that several, dissociable mechanisms may contribute independently to strain differences in behavior. The model predicts that, if the “standard” inter-session interval is shortened from 48 to 24 hours, SD rats (but not WKY) will continue to show warm-up; we confirm this prediction in an empirical study with SD and WKY rats. The model further predicts that SD rats will continue to show warm-up with inter-session intervals as short as a few minutes, while WKY rats will not show warm-up, even with inter-session intervals as long as a month. Together, the modeling and empirical data indicate that strain differences in warm-up are qualitative, rather than just the result of differential sensitivity to task variables. Understanding the mechanisms that govern expression of warm-up behavior in avoidance may lead to better understanding of pathological avoidance, and potential pathways to modify these processes.
Diaphragmatic hernia in a 19-year-old thoroughbred broodmare.

History A previously normal, multiparous pregnant broodmare experienced an episode of apparent shock approximately 3 weeks before presentation. She had been kept in a large field with several other horses and was found shaking, hypothermic, and weak in the field following a storm. She was brought in the barn, placed in a stall, and covered with blankets and coolers. Medical treatment at that time included intravenous administration of large volumes of warmed isotonic crystalloid fluids. The mare remained tachycardic and depressed for 3 days following the episode, after which she displayed increasing respiratory rate and effort. At the time of referral, at 322 days’ gestation, the mare was exhibiting persistent tachypnea and dyspnea and was approximately 3 weeks from her estimated parturition date at approximately 348 days of gestation based on previous pregnancies.
Venlafaxine Pharmacobezoar Causing Intestinal Ischemia Requiring Emergent Hemicolectomy

Pharmacobezoars are an uncommon but potentially problematic manifestation of drug overdose. Diagnosed radiographically, endoscopically, intraoperatively, or postmortem, a bezoar is a mass of any form of unabsorbed material within the gastrointestinal tract. When they occur, they tend to form at anatomic strictures at any point between the esophagus and the rectum. They commonly occur in patients with prior abdominal surgery or altered GI motility. Besides obstructive and ischemic complications when impacted, pharmacobezoars can also cause prolonged toxicologic effects due to the retained drug mass. Venlafaxine is a bicyclic phenylethylamine antidepressant that inhibits serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake in the CNS. Morbidity and mortality from venlafaxine overdose are typically from seizures and cardiovascular toxicity. We describe a novel case of massive overdose of extended-release (ER) venlafaxine leading to obstructive pharmacobezoar formation at the ileocecal junction, with consequent bowel ischemia and necrosis requiring emergent hemicolectomy.
On internal solitary waves

Earlier investigations of internal solitary waves in stable, stratified shear flows are generalized on the hypothesis that cubic and quadratic nonlinearity may be of comparable significance—or, equivalent, that ? = O(? 2 ), where ?? a / h < 1 and ? = ( h / l ) < 1 for a wave of amplitude a (which may be positive or negative) and length l in a fluid of depth h . An infinite, discrete set of internal solitary waves is possible for prescribed density and horizontal velocity in the primary flow, and to each of these modes there corresponds a relation ? = ?(?), 0 < |?| < |? n |. Cubic nonlinearity is significant vis-a-vis quadratic nonlinearity if and only if ? n = O (?), and h |? n | then appears as a maximum achievable amplitude. The limit ?n ? 0 (which corresponds to a critical combination of the basic flow parameters) implies a ? 0 and l ? ? if the mass carried by the wave is fixed. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1979.tb00924.x
In situ and ex situ spectroscopic monitoring of biochar's surface functional groups

Abstract A number of studies concluded that peak pyrolysis temperature determines essential biochar properties: surface functional group, fixed carbon content, O/C, H/C, and BET surface area. Chemical (most importantly oxygen-containing surface functionalities), rather than physical (surface area) property of biochar dictates its ability to stabilize heavy metals in soil. Labile carbon fraction of biochar is rich in heavy metal coordinating functionalities, and recalcitrant carbon fraction is necessary for the long-term stability in soil. To produce desirable biochar properties with minimal time and cost, the slow pyrolysis platform must be optimized not only for the peak temperature, but additional parameters including the residence time and heating rate. In this study, time courses of biomass slow pyrolysis were investigated in the real time using a time-resolved (0.5 s) in situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFTs) to continuously monitor the changes in surface functionality. The greatest change in surface functionality was observed at 200–500 °C from both in situ DRIFTs (during heating up at 10 °C min −1 to reach the peak temperature) as well as ex situ (after a set residence time at the peak temperature) proximate, ultimate, attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR, and 1 H NMR analyses of slow/fast pyrolysis and activated biochars. The FTIR spectral features at respective temperatures during in situ pyrolysis of lignocellulosic feedstock matched the peak temperature of post-production analysis. The FTIR peaks attributable to the oxygen-containing functional groups dramatically diminished after 20 min residence time. Quantitative relationships were observed between parameters attributable to the aromatic characteristics: (1) baseline FTIR absorbance and (2) atomic H/C ratio with the fixed carbon content of biochar.
Research Note. Thresholds for Detecting Tempo Change

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine thresholds for the detection of tempo change across a range of tempos, (b) compare thresholds across tempos and direction of change, and (c) examine the effect of previous music experience on detection ability. The subjects (n = 48). college non-music majors, responded to synthesised stimuli that gradually increased or decreased in tempo.The plot of detection thresholds for all tempo-direction combinations suggests an interaction between tempo and direction thresholds for detection were greater for increases than for decreases at MM48 and MM84, but greater for decreases than for increases at MM192 and MM228. All threshold means for the high experience group were smaller than those of the low experience group.
Analysis of longterm trends in the performance of dairy cows on low-input mountain farms.

The productive and reproductive performance of dairy cows was examined on thirty-four low-input farms in the Sumava Mts. between 2000 and 2007. Milk production increased by an average of 986 kg and 948 kg per lactation by Holstein and by Czech Fleckvieh cows, respectively (P < 0.001), while the mean number of lactations decreased from 2.7 to 2.5 in Holstein and from 3.4. to 3.0 in Czech Fleckvieh cows (P < 0.001) in the same period. The mean number of lactations decreased also in the culled cows – from 3.2 to 2.9 by Holstein and from 4.3 to 3.5 by Czech Fleckvieh cows (P < 0.001). A higher cow milk yield was accompanied by a deterioration in reproductive performance. Between the periods 2000–2003 and 2004– 2007 the number of days open lengthened by an average of 6 and 4 days (P < 0.01) and the calving period by an average of 11 and 6 days (P < 0.001) in Holstein and Czech Fleckvieh cows respectively. The results indicated an increased replacement of cows in the herds examined as a coincidental feature of the steadily rising milk performance. This may have a negative impact on the rentability of low-input mountain dairy farming in the region.
Preference of Temporary Restorations and Spacers: A Survey of Diplomates of the American Board of Endodontists

The purpose of this investigation was to survey Diplomates of the American Board of Endodontists to determine their preferences in temporary restorations used during and following endodontic therapy and if cotton pellets are used as spacers. The survey asked which primary temporary material was used in anterior and posterior teeth to close access openings. Also, the endodontists were asked if they preferred a double seal and if they used cotton pellets as spacers. Eighty percent (507 of 603) of the surveys were returned. Cavit was the temporary restoration of choice for both anterior and posterior teeth, 48% and 54%, respectively. The majority of Diplomates, 83%, placed a cotton pellet beneath the temporary restorations.
Designing deposit insurance scheme under asymmetric information with double liability option

In this article, an option theoretic model is applied to develop a Deposit Insurance Scheme under asymmetric information environment. By introducing double liability as an option into the deposit insurance scheme, our model solves the Deposit Insurer's adverse selection problem. With appropriately designed deposit insurance premia and double liability obligations, we demonstrate that separating equilibria exist. The introduction of double liability into the current deposit insurance system adds additional cost to the system to make the insurance scheme more effective. Macey and Miller (1992) suggest that such double liability is a very useful tool for preventing the incentive problem typically created by current deposit insurance schemes. Based on Jackson (1993), Macey and Miller (1993) and Grossman (2002), no consensus exists to explain whether double liability can replace the current deposit insurance system. There are two companion issues that must be considered. The first is the preservation of the sa...
Nonlinear dynamics of tapping mode atomic force microscopy in the bistable phase

Abstract Nonlinear dynamics of amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AFM) is studied employing a reduced-order model based on a differential quadrature method (DQM). The AFM microcantilever is assumed to be operating in the dynamic contact or tapping mode while the microcantilever tip being initially located in the bistable region. We have found that the DQM is capable of precise prediction of the static bifurcation diagram and natural frequencies of the microcantilever. We have used the DQM to discretize the partial-differential equation governing the microcantilever motion and a finite difference method (FDM) to calculate limit-cycle responses of the AFM tip. It is shown that a combination of the DQM and FDM applied, respectively, to discretize the spatial and temporal derivatives provides an efficient, accurate procedure to address the complicated dynamic behavior exhibited by the AFM probe. The procedure was, therefore, utilized to study the response of the microcantilever to a base harmonic excitation through several numerical examples. We found that the dynamics of the AFM probe in the bistable region is totally different from those in the monostable region.
GHZ polarization dynamics in ferroelectric thin films

Abstract We present results from experiments which measure the local dielectric response of ferroelectric thin films driven by microwave-frequency electric fields. The repetition rate of a mode-locked Ti:Sapphire laser is used to generate a microwave drive signal that is phase-locked to an optical probe pulse and applied to the ferroelectric thin film. The induced polarization change in the ferroelectric film is measured stroboscopically via the electro-optic effect. Polarization images are acquired by scanning the laser beam across the sample in a confocal geometry. Time resolution is achieved by changing the delay between the electrical pump and the optical probe. Initial results show large local phase shifts in the ferroelectric response of closely separated regions of a Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin film. This new experimental technique may help to understand the physical mechanisms of dielectric loss in these materials.
A method of successive cumulations for the scaling of pair-comparison preference judgments.

The present model treats the scaling of pair-comparison preference judgments among a unidimensional set of stimuli across a population of individuals. Given a setS ofn stimuli,S = {S 1,S 2, …,S n }, the model yields a partially ordered metric on the interstimulus distances which may be used to construct an interval scale of values forS. Obtained also are a set of predictionsP = {P 1,P 2, …,P n } whereP i is the proportion of individuals in the population whose first choice among the elements ofS isS i . A numerical illustration is offered and comparisons are drawn with Coombs' unfolding technique.
HYPERINSULINISM: A REVERSIBLE CAUSE OF HYPER-TROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

The role of insulin in cardiac muscle growth has been controversial. In vitro studies have had equivocal results but insulin has been implicated as an etiologic factor in the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy seen in the infant of a diabetic mother. We have recently cared for an infant with neonatal hypoglycemia secondary to endogenous organic, hyperinsulinism (blood glucose 22mg/dl; insulin 92uU/ml) that was refractory to diazoxide, chlorothiazide and glucocorticoids. Despite a 95% pancreatectomy on day 30 which showed islet hypertrophy/hyperplasia with overall features of endocrine cell dysplasia, the hypoglycemia persisted and was marginally controlled with the same drugs. At 4 months of age, the patient presented with a severe biventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and marked congestive failure (RV end diastolic pressure = 18; LV end diastolic = 23 mmHg; Septal wall thickness = 8 mm, LV free wall = 12mm) Based upon the hypothesis that hyperinsulinism might be an etiology and the refractoriness to standard anticongestive therapy, the remaining pancreas was removed. One year later there has been nearly complete resolution of the cardiomyopathy (RV end diastolic pressure = 5, LV end diastolic = 12mmHg; Septal thickness = 5mm, LV free wall = 7mm). The child is normoglycemic without medication. This patient's clinical course suggests a role for insulin in cardiac growth/hypertrophy. We recommend that infants with hyperinsulinism undergo a cardiac evaluation.
Regional expression of three homeobox transcripts in the inner ear of zebrafish embryos.

Abstract The inner ear of all jawed vertebrates arises from the epithelium of the otic vesicle and contains three semicircular canals, otoliths, and- sets of sensory neurons, all positioned precisely within the cranium to detect head orientation and movement. The msh-C gene and two new homeobox genes, msh-D and a gene related to distal-less, dlx-3 , are each expressed in distinct regions of the otic vesicle during its early development in zebrafish embryos. Cells in the ectoderm express dlx-3 before induction of the otic vesicle, suggesting that dlx -3 has an early function in this process. Later, cells aligned with the future axes of the semicircular canals specifically express either dlx-3 or msh-D . Even later, sensory hair cells express msh-C and msh-D , while other cells of the epithelium express dlx-3 . The early expression of these genes could specify the orientation and morphogenesis of the inner ear, whereas their later expression could specify the fates of particular cell types.
Initial Orthostatic Hypotension in the Young Is Attenuated by Static Handgrip

Initial orthostatic hypotension is common in children. Isometric handgrip increases arterial pressure, central blood volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance. We show that in 14 subjects with initial orthostatic hypotension, isometric handgrip coupled with standing abolished symptoms of initial orthostatic hypotension and minimized decreases in blood pressure and cardiac output with standing.
Weight ratings of others: The effects of multiple target and rater features

Abstract The present study investigated factors that affect the subjective analysis of the weight of other individuals. Three hundred and thirty-three participants viewed figures varying in muscularity, adiposity, gender, and race. For each of the eighteen figures (targets), a 2 (rater gender: male, female) × 3 (rater race/ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Hispanic) × 3 (target race/ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Hispanic) repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted (BMI was covaried). Overall, there were few significant effects, however, for some of the figural stimuli, African American raters assigned lower weight ratings than did Caucasian and Hispanic raters. The findings offer support for further investigation of ethnic differences in weight ratings as a potential factor that might inform ethnic differences in overweight and obesity prevalence.
Alexander and Govern's Approximation: Providing an Alternative to ANOVA Under Variance Heterogeneity

A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to compare the Type I error rate and power of the 1994 approximation developed by Alexander and Govern as an alternative to the ANOVA F test. It was compared with the ANOVA F, Kruskal-Wallis, Welch, Brown-Forsythe, and James second-order tests. The authors concentrated on the impact of various factors on Type I error rate and power. The factors included variance inequality, sample-size pairings with group variances, degree of skewness/kurtosis, and number of treatment groups. Under variance heterogeneity, Alexander-Govern's test was not only comparable to the performance of the Welch test and the James second-order test but was superior in certain instances.
The simulation of the simple batch distillation of multiple‐component mixtures via Rayleigh's equation

Simple batch distillation has the advantages of versatility and flexibility in treating different mixtures. A mathematical model was developed for predicting distillation results for multicomponent systems based on Rayleigh equation. A Microsoft Excel Visual Basic (VB) Macro program was coded for inputting property data, carrying out calculations, and presenting outcomes in both table and graphic forms. The simulation can be conducted using the VB Macro program when users-specified inputs in mole, volume, or weight are entered. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ. 15: 198–204, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20098
The material optimization and reliability characterization of an indium-solder thermal interface material for CPU packaging

Developing new thermal interface materials (TIMs) is a key activity to meeting package thermal performance requirements for future generations of microprocessors. Indium solder is capable of demonstrating end-of-line performance to meet current technology targets due to its inherent high thermal conductivity. However, improving its reliability performance, particularly in temperature cycling, is a challenge. This study describes the failure mechanisms and reliability performance of indium solder TIM as a function of integrated heat spreader metallization thickness, TIM bond line thickness, and die size. Also studeited were the steps taken to improve its temperature cycle performance. Analyses were performed using thermal resistance measurements, scanning-electron microscopy, scanning-acoustic microscopy, and transmission-electron microscopy to characterize the solder TIM thermal performance, interfacial microstructure, and failure mechanisms.
Stealthy malware detection and monitoring through VMM-based “out-of-the-box” semantic view reconstruction

An alarming trend in recent malware incidents is that they are armed with stealthy techniques to detect, evade, and subvert malware detection facilities of the victim. On the defensive side, a fundamental limitation of traditional host-based antimalware systems is that they run inside the very hosts they are protecting (“in-the-box”), making them vulnerable to counter detection and subversion by malware. To address this limitation, recent solutions based on virtual machine (VM) technologies advocate placing the malware detection facilities outside of the protected VM (“out-of-the-box”). However, they gain tamper resistance at the cost of losing the internal semantic view of the host, which is enjoyed by “in-the-box” approaches. This poses a technical challenge known as the semantic gap.In this article, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of VMwatcher—an “out-of-the-box” approach that overcomes the semantic gap challenge. A new technique called guest view casting is developed to reconstruct internal semantic views (e.g., files, processes, and kernel modules) of a VM nonintrusively from the outside. More specifically, the new technique casts semantic definitions of guest OS data structures and functions on virtual machine monitor (VMM)-level VM states, so that the semantic view can be reconstructed. Furthermore, we extend guest view casting to reconstruct details of system call events (e.g., the process that makes the system call as well as the system call number, parameters, and return value) in the VM, enriching the semantic view. With the semantic gap effectively narrowed, we identify three unique malware detection and monitoring capabilities: (i) view comparison-based malware detection and its demonstration in rootkit detection; (ii) “out-of-the-box” deployment of off-the-shelf anti malware software with improved detection accuracy and tamper-resistance; and (iii) nonintrusive system call monitoring for malware and intrusion behavior observation. We have implemented a proof-of-concept VMwatcher prototype on a number of VMM platforms. Our evaluation experiments with real-world malware, including elusive kernel-level rootkits, demonstrate VMwatcher's practicality and effectiveness.
Measles Exposure throughout a University Hospital Medical Center

ISSUE: With universal childhood measles immunization, measles virus infections are very rare in the United States and are due to importation from other countries. Due to the unfamiliarity of frontline clinicians with the clinical presentation of measles, the identification of the disease may be challenging and lead to delays in the institution of isolation precautions. We highlight the impact of exposure to a case of measles at a tertiary care facility. PROJECT: Within 5 days of returning from China, a 24 year old Caucasian male developed a fever and was evaluated in a medical clinic. Two days later he developed a rash, pharyngitis and cough and was referred to the Infectious Disease clinic. A diagnostic evaluation was begun; however, the patient's symptoms worsened prompting evaluation in the Emergency Department. At this time the patient was admitted to acute care and while the diagnosis of measles was considered, the patient was placed on droplet instead of airborne precautions. This was corrected when Infection Control became aware of the situation. The diagnosis of measles was confirmed by serology and investigation revealed an incomplete vaccination history. Infection Control staff met to assess the situation and identify exposures to staff and patients. RESULTS: Isolation precautions were nonexistent or improper in 6 clinical areas. A total of 65 employees were exposed to the patient, 15 of whom were placed on provisional furlough until a measles IgG was obtained; 12 of these employees were subsequently seropositive and returned to duty. The remaining 3 were seronegative and furloughed from days 5 through 21 post exposure and were offered vaccination. There were 154 patients exposed mainly from waiting areas. Of these, 104 were contacted by phone. The remaining 50 were unreachable. Measles information was sent to the medical center faculty while the state health department sent information to the surrounding counties. No secondary cases of measles occurred. LESSONS LEARNED: Measles is not endemic to the United States and presentations of symptoms are not readily recognized. Identified areas of concern include: education of clinic and hospital staff regarding presentation of patients with fever and rash having recent travel outside of the United States; initiation of appropriate isolation precautions; a multi-bed exam room in the Emergency Department utilized for patients with fever and rash; and assurance of all employees' immune status against measles.
A Group-Theoretic Consequence of the Donald-Flanigan Conjecture

Abstract The Donald-Flanigan conjecture asserts that for any finite group G and prime p dividing its order #G, the group algebra F pG can be deformed into a semisimple, and hence rigid, algebra. We show that this implies that there is some element g ∈ G whose centralizer CG(g) has a normal subgroup of index p. The method is to observe that the Donald-Flanigan deformation must be a jump, whence, from the deformation theory, H1( F pG, F pG) ≠ 0. Using a standard result linking Hochschild and group cohomology one sees that some H1(CG(g), F p) must be non-zero, giving the result. (Our corollary to the D-F conjecture has recently been verified by Fleischmann, Janiszczak, and Lempken using the classification of finite simple groups.)
A NEW CLASS OF MATRIX VARIATE ELLIPTICALLY CONTOURED DISTRIBUTIONS

A new class of matrix variate elliptically contoured distributions is defined. Properties of this class of distributions are studied. Examples of distributions which belong to this class are also presented.
A 3 bit K/Ka band MMIC phase shifter

A description is given of a K/Ka-band 3-bit GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) phase shifter that uses passive MESFET switching elements and is bidirectional. The phase shifter uses high-pass/low-pass filter circuits in which MESFET off-state capacitances are incorporated as filter elements. This technique allows high-performance, broadband phase shifter response to be achieved. The K/Ka-band phase shifter uses MESFETs with the same characteristics as those used in amplifiers operating in the same band, for ease of future integration. The phase shifter operates from 18 to 40 GHz, with an average insertion loss of 9 to 10 dB. >
miRCancer: a microRNA-cancer association database constructed by text mining on literature

Motivation: Research interests in microRNAs have increased rapidly in the past decade. Many studies have showed that microRNAs have close relationships with various human cancers, and they potentially could be used as cancer indicators in diagnosis or as a suppressor for treatment purposes. There are several databases that contain microRNA–cancer associations predicted by computational methods but few from empirical results. Despite the fact that abundant experiments investigating microRNA expressions in cancer cells have been carried out, the results have remain scattered in the literature. We propose to extract microRNA–cancer associations by text mining and store them in a database called miRCancer. Results: The text mining is based on 75 rules we have constructed, which represent the common sentence structures typically used to state microRNA expressions in cancers. The microRNA–cancer association database, miRCancer, is updated regularly by running the text mining algorithm against PubMed. All miRNA–cancer associations are confirmed manually after automatic extraction. miRCancer currently documents 878 relationships between 236 microRNAs and 79 human cancers through the processing of426 000 published articles. Availability: miRCancer is freely available on the web at http://mircan
Opportunistic routing in multi-hop wireless networks

This paper describes Extremely Opportunistic Routing (ExOR), a new unicast routing technique for multi-hop wireless networks. ExOR forwards each packet through a sequence of nodes, deferring the choice of each node in the sequence until after the previous node has transmitted the packet on its radio. ExOR then determines which node, of all the nodes that successfully received that transmission, is the node closest to the destination. That closest node transmits the packet. The result is that each hop moves the packet farther (or average) than the hops of the best possible pre-determined route.The ExOR design addresses the challenge of choosing a forwarding node after transmission using a distributed algorithm. First, when a node transmits a packet, it includes in the packet a simple schedule describing the priority order in which the potential receivers should forward the packet. The node computes the schedule based on shared measurements of inter-node delivery rates. ExOR then uses a distributed slotted MAC protocol for acknowledgements to ensure that the receivers agree who the highest priority receiver was.The efficacy of ExOR depends mainly on the rate at which the reception probability falls off with distance. Simulations based on measured radio characteristics [6] suggest that ExOR reduces the total number of transmissions by nearly a factor of two over the best possible pre-determined route.
Modeling and efficient handling of handoffs in integrated wireless mobile networks

We propose and analyze two handoff schemes without and with preemptive priority procedures for integrated wireless mobile networks. We categorize the service calls into four different types, namely, originating voice calls, originating data calls, voice handoff request calls, and data handoff request calls and we assume two separate queues for two handoff services. A number of channels in each cell are reserved exclusively for handoff request calls. Out of these channels, few are reserved exclusively for voice handoff request calls. The remaining channels are shared by both originating and handoff request calls. In the preemptive priority scheme, higher priority is given to voice handoff request calls over data handoff request calls and can preempt data service to the queue if, upon arrival, a voice handoff request finds no free channels. We model the system by a three-dimensional Markov chain and compute the system performance in terms of blocking probability of originating calls, forced termination probability of voice handoff request calls, and average transmission delay of data calls. It is observed that forced termination probability of voice handoff request calls can be decreased by increasing the number of reserved channels. On the other hand, as a data handoff request can be transferred from a queue of one base station to another, there is no packet loss of data handoff except for a negligibly small blocking probability.
Symmetric gyroscope frequency separation by geometry and roughness

Approximate closed-form solutions are developed for estimating the frequency separation caused by thickness, density, or radius azimuth variations in ring or hemispherical gyroscopes. For the nth flexural mode, frequency separation is caused by the 2n harmonic of density or thickness variation. These relations are combined with stochastic models to determine approximate closed-form solutions relating surface roughness to frequency separation. For 1-mm radius, 10-μm thick ring or sphere, with 0.5-μm 0-peak thickness variations that are 100-μm wide, the frequency separation is 0.05%.
Approach to the Hypophosphatemic Patient

Hypophosphatemia is commonly missed due to nonspecific signs and symptoms, but it causes considerable morbidity and in some cases contributes to mortality. Three primary mechanisms of hypophosphatemia exist: increased renal excretion, decreased intestinal absorption, and shifts from the extracellular to intracellular compartments. Renal hypophosphatemia can be further divided into fibroblast growth factor 23-mediated or non-fibroblast growth factor 23-mediated causes. Proper diagnosis requires a thorough medication history, family history, physical examination, and assessment of renal tubular phosphate handling to identify the cause. During the past decade, our understanding of phosphate metabolism has grown greatly through the study of rare disorders of phosphate homeostasis. Treatment of hypophosphatemia depends on the underlying disorder and requires close biochemical monitoring. This article illustrates an approach to the hypophosphatemic patient and discusses normal phosphate metabolism.
Biomimetic Dehydrogenative Diels–Alder Cycloadditions: Total Syntheses of Brosimones A and B

Passing (H2) Gas Concise syntheses of the natural products brosimones A and B using sequential dehydrogenative Diels-Alder (DHDA) cycloadditions are reported. The syntheses employ either Pt/C-cyclopentene or DDQ to effect dehydrogenation of prenylchalcone substrates in combination with silver nanoparticles (AgNP’s) to promote subsequent Diels-Alder cycloadditions.
Transforming Growth Factor β Inhibits the Antigen-Presenting Functions and Antitumor Activity of Dendritic Cell Vaccines

Dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines have exhibited minimal effectiveness in treating established tumors, likely because of factors present in the tumor microenvironment. One such factor is transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a cytokine that is produced by numerous tumor types and has been demonstrated to impair DC functions in vitro. We have evaluated the effect of TGF-β on the immunostimulatory activities of DCs. We demonstrate that TGF-β exposure inhibits the ability of DCs to present antigen, stimulate tumor-sensitized T lymphocytes, and migrate to draining lymph nodes. Neutralization of TGF-β using the TGF-β-neutralizing monoclonal antibody 2G7 enhanced the ability of DC vaccines to inhibit the growth of established 4T1 murine mammary tumors. Treatment of 4T1 tumors transduced with the antisense TGF-β transgene (4T1-asT) with the combination of DC and 2G7 monoclonal antibody inhibited tumor growth and resulted in complete regression of tumors in 40% of the mice. These results demonstrate that neutralization of TGF-β in tumor-bearing mice enhances the efficacy of DC-based vaccines.
Short PET in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.

Peritoneal equilibration test (PET) is a common technique used in children to evaluate peritoneal membrane transport capacity and adequate the dialysis regimen. Considering that this is a laborious test, a shortened version has been proposed. Our goal was to evaluate the concordance between the 2-h (short) and 4-h (classical) PET values to determine whether the short PET could be used in the clinical setting. Eighty-one PET corresponding to 81 peritoneal dialysis patients from two pediatric nephrology centers were retrospectively analyzed. Peritoneal transport capacity was evaluated using the dialysate to plasma ratio (D/P) of creatinine and the ratio of dialysate glucose to baseline dialysate glucose (D/D0) at 2 and 4 h. The mean [± standard deviation (SD)] creatinine D/P ratio at 2 and 4 h were 0.41 ± 0.13 and 0.66 ± 0.17, respectively, and the mean (± SD) D/D0 glucose were 0.64 ± 0.11 and 0.39 ± 0.12 at the same times. Applying McNemar χ2 test to evaluate the association between the categories obtained at 2 and 4 h, we found no relationship between the 2- and 4-h PET for both D/P and D/D0 (p > 0.05). These results suggest that the use of this abbreviated test is probably not reliable for estimating the transport capacity of the peritoneal membrane in the pediatric population.
Review of Ecological Effects of Rapidly Varying Flows Downstream from Hydroelectric Facilities

Abstract Rapid changes in flow below hydroelectric facilities result from peaking operations, where water is typically stored in a reservoir at night and released through turbines to satisfy increased electrical demand during the day. Potential impacts of these short-term, recurring disturbances of aquatic systems below dams are important considerations in hydropower development. Reduced biotic productivity in tailwaters may be due directly to flow variations or indirectly to a variety of factors related to flow variations, such as changes in water depth or temperature, or scouring of sediments. Many riverine fish and invertebrate species have a limited range of conditions to which they are adapted. The relatively recent pattern of daily fluctuations in flow is not one to which most species are adapted; thus, such conditions can reduce the abundance, diversity, and productivity of these riverine organisms. Information needs for site-specific evaluations of potential impacts at hydroelectric peaking projec...
Abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE:To review the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of abiraterone acetate for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and evaluate the drug for health-system formulary inclusion.DATA SOURCES:Literature was identified through a search of MEDLINE (1977-February 2012) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(1977-February 2012) using the search term abiraterone. References of identified articles were reviewed.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All clinical trials published in English were evaluated. Studies conducted in the setting of mCRPC were included in the literature review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Despite benefits from androgen deprivation for the treatment of prostate cancer, most patients experience disease progression within 12-48 months, a phase described as castrate resistant. Abiraterone is the only Food and Drug Administration–approved hormonal treatment option for mCRPC in men who have received docetaxel and is recommended as a second-line agent for this indication in th...
Protistan communities of the the Great Barrier Reef

Studies conducted at the Heron Island Research Station, located on the Capricorn region of the Great Barrier Reef, characterized complex protistan communities. Heron Reef is home to around 72 percent of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef. The paper will emphasize the diversity of ciliates found in benthic and epiphytic samples and will focus on the interactive role of the protistan component of the reef, including ciliates implicated in coral diseases that occur following bleaching episodes. Samples were taken by direct capture, observed with phase contrast and epifluorescent microscopy, and recorded by video and photomicrographic methods.
Design of Uniaxial Strain Shock Recovery Experiments

We present an elementary introduction to the art and science of uniaxial strain-shock recovery experiments. Subjects discussed include generation of planar stress waves, design of sample recovery experiments, stress-gage instrumentation, and temperature effects. The emphasis of the present paper is practical; we hope to provide the neophyte with the basic information needed to design and interpret well-characterized shock recovery experiments.
A guide to utilisation and sustainment of telemedicine: answering the question, "What is in it for me?"

Despite a general consensus that many healthcare needs can be addressed through telemedicine, most telemedicine systems remain under-utilised and provision of services are difficult to sustain. Five steps for establishing baseline utilisation and assuring long-term growth and sustainability are outlined along with field-tested techniques for achieving each. The five steps are: identifying strategic partners, developing local champions, engaging the project team, securing executive buy-in, and garnering community support. Techniques for achieving each are based upon over eight years of experience in building telehealth programmes. Founded in exchange theory and reliant upon community development and mobilisation methods, these techniques aim to answer the question, "What is in it for me?" at the individual, organisational, community, and societal levels. To achieve each step, techniques are described for assessing and responding to the relative value of money, power and prestige for each level and key player. Effectively implemented, this approach assures that, once the "deal is sealed", the leadership understands the risks and the opportunities, and the people on the ground floor have the resources and dedication to succeed. Scenarios based in real life experience are presented that demonstrate the ramifications of using and omitting some of these techniques. When fully implemented, these techniques result in projects that are built upon strong partnerships that distribute the risks, share resources and support multiple uses of the technology. In addition, the role of each partner – whether an individual, organisation or community – is aligned with its respective mission and strategic direction. The scenarios presented are based upon three projects for which these techniques were applied. A case study approach is used to describe the real world application of these steps in building strategic alliances between an academic health science centre and three universities. The first telemedicine alliance is being sustained, but is not growing. The second continues to grow and thrive. The third was never implemented.
Identification of a Peptide from In vivo Bacteriophage Display with Homology to EGFL6: A Candidate Tumor Vasculature Ligand in Breast Cancer.

Background: A crucial step in tumorigenesis is the recruitment of novel vasculature to the site of neoplasia. Currently, a number of high throughput techniques are employed to identify genes, mRNA and proteins that are aberrantly expressed in tumor vasculature. One drawback of such techniques is the lack of functional in vivo data that they provide. Bacteriophage (phage) display has been demonstrated in vivo to select peptides that home to tumors and tumor vasculature. The peptides can be compared to sequences of putative cancer-related proteins, in order to identify novel proteins essential for tumorigenesis. Objectives: It was hypothesized that an in vivo selection for phage which targeted human breast cancer xenografts could identify peptides with homology to cancer-related proteins for in vivo imaging of breast cancer. Methods: Following four rounds of in vivo selection in human MDA-MB-435 breast cancer xenografted mice, peptide 3-G03 was discovered with significant homology to a putative secreted protein termed EGFL6. Egfl6 mRNA is upregulated in several transcriptomic analyses of human cancer biopsies, and the protein may play a role in tumor vascularization. Results: Egfl6 mRNA expression was demonstrated in MDA-MB-435 cells and EGFL6 protein was secreted from these cells. Based on homology of 3-G03 to EGFL6, an EGFL6 peptide was synthesized and shown to target MDA-MB-435 cells. EGFL6 peptide was radiolabeled with 111In and analyzed for biodistribution and tumor imaging capabilities. Single photon emission computed tomography imaging revealed uptake of the peptide in a manner consistent with other tumor vasculature targeting agents.
Do not go gentle into that good night: the effect of retirement on subsequent mortality of U.S. Supreme Court justices, 1801-2006.

Mortality hazard and length of time until death are widely used as health outcome measures and are themselves of fundamental demographic interest. Considerable research has asked whether labor force retirement reduces subsequent health and its mortality measures. Previous studies have reported positive, negative, and null effects of retirement on subsequent longevity and mortality hazard, but inconsistent findings are difficult to resolve because (1) nearly all data confound retirement with unemployment of older workers, and often, (2) endogeneity bias is rarely addressed analytically. To avoid these problems, albeit at loss of generalizability to the entire labor force, I examine data from an exceptional subgroup that is of interest in its own right: U.S. Supreme Court justices of 1801–2006. Using discrete-time event history methods, I estimate retirement effects on mortality hazard and years-left-alive. Some substantive and methodological considerations suggest models that specify endogenous effects estimated by instrumental variables (IV) probit, IV Tobit, and IV regression methods. Other considerations suggest estimation by endogenous switching (ES) probit and ES regression. Estimates by all these methods are consistent with the hypothesis that, on average, retirement decreases health, as indicated by elevated mortality hazard and diminished years-left-alive. These findings may apply to other occupational groups characterized by high levels of work autonomy, job satisfaction, and financial security.